About Arabella Dorman
Arabella Dorman is an award-winning, internationally renowned artist and one of Britain’s leading portrait painters. Dorman has painted members of the Royal family, senior military personnel and other high profile individuals.
As an officially accredited British war artist, Dorman has worked across the Middle-East since 2006. She has been embedded with the British Army in Iraq (2006) and Afghanistan (2009 - 2013). Her humanitarian work has taken her to Gaza, Palestine & Israel (2017) Lebanon, Syria (2018) and most recently, Ukraine (2023). Dorman's work explores the realities of modern conflict, its immediate impacts and long-term consequences, and the light that can be born out of the darkness of war.
Dorman is an expedition artist. Her work has taken her across deserts and mountains in pursuit of the vanishing world, revealed and eroded by ice and sand. Accompanied by explorers Rosie Stancer & Pom Oliver, Dorman recently walked across the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, sleeping under the stars, living and travelling with the Bedouin and their camels. The three women are currently working towards a further expedition across Saudi Arabia in 2024.
Dorman enjoys a prominent reputation as a public speaker and fundraiser. She has been listed in BBC’s Top 100 Women and Salt Magazine’s 100 Most Inspiring Women, and was awarded winner of the Global Mosaic Award, and Oman Masterpiece 2021. Over the past two decades, Dorman’s paintings and humanitarian work have been profiled across international and national media; television, radio and print, including The New York Times, BBC, CNN, Aljazeera, Radio 4, BBC World Service, and featured on the front cover of The Times, The Guardian and The Sunday Times Magazine.
Winner of the Global Mosaic Award, and shortlisted for the Arts & Christianity Awards, Dorman’s installations Flight and Suspended were globally acclaimed in raising awareness about the forced displacement of people. Suspended premiered in St James’s Church Piccadilly in 2019, and subsequently toured the UK, hanging in Canterbury cathedral, Salisbury, Leicester cathedral (2017/18), Chrsities and other venues across London. Her most recent body of work, Child of War premiered in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, London in the summer of 2024, and is now scheduled to go on tour across Europe.
Dorman is an Ambassador to Beyond Conflict and Afghanaid and a member of the Ladies Guild of St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital. She is married to Dominic Elliot
Selected Commissions and Collections:
Professor Neena Modi, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
UGLE Tercentenary Celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall
Pro Grand Master of United Grand Lodge of England
H.R.H Elizabeth II Presenting New Standards - Royal Tanks Regiment
H.R.H Prince Michael of Kent
General Sir Richard Shirreff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
General Sir Jack Deverell, Commander of Allied Forces North Europe
Dundas Castle
Kirtling Castle
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
The King’s Royal Hussars
Honourable Artillery Company
The United Grand Lodge of England, Freemasons’ Hall
Princess to the Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates
The Queen's Royal Lancers
The 2nd Battalion The Rifles
Aegis, Boardroom Collection
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
The Honorary Colonel of The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers
The Kennel Club
Leicestershire County Council Artworks Collection
Lieutenant Commander MRL. Hayes, DOS, Knight of St John
High Sheriff of West Sussex & Director of Pearsons PLC
High Sheriff of Hampshire
Sir Michael Morland, Retired Judge of the High Court, England & Wales
The Museum of Muscat, Oman Royal Collection, Oman
Chief Executive, WHSmith
Smith & Williamson, Boardroom Collection
Testimonials:
“Arabella is without doubt the most incredible portrait painter. She sees people in a way few do, with the most extraordinary talent which translates the vision onto canvas; the effect is truly stunning.” Sarah Jane Shirreff
“What an amazing talk you did today. I’ve done a few of these gallery visits now and I can honestly say that yours was by far the most profound and everyone left feeling utterly moved, inspired, and wanting to help.” Anna Leaver
“Aside from your prodigious talent as a portrait painter, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room after watching the incredibly moving video of the courageous work you produced when you were in Iraq and Afghanistan. I left with an even greater appreciation and understanding of the sacrifice these men and women give by going to war and how the traumas they experienced shape their lives upon their return, as rendered so empathetically through your portraiture. You have played a key role in reshaping the public opinion on these horrible campaigns by helping people to see the human side of it.” Amanda Lambert
“Thank you for last night's moving and very inspiring talk. I think many of us were emotional about the things you said. You spoke so well about the need for all of us to connect to the stories of those on the other side of the world and put ourselves in their position. As someone who is of Indian-origin, African-born and who was raised in the UK, this resonated deeply. As you said, the plight of these refugees could have been the fate of any one of us.” - Edna Fernandes, Co-founder of Beyond Conflict
"Its been very humbling to watch people engage with your piece – and there have been many tears. It is a privilege to have your work in our Cathedral to engage the public in such a strong way." - Revd Canon Karen Rooms, Leicester Cathedral
Public Speaking
Arabella is a prominent public speaker, addressing a wide variety of audiences across the country, at corporate and fundraising events as well as schools, universities and private members clubs. Arabella tailors her talks to suit her audience, drawing from her wealth of experience working as a contemporary war artist since 2006. Showing illustrations of her work, Arabella explores the human face of conflict, courage, leadership and hope as she takes us on her search for light in the darkest corners of existence.
Public Speaking Tours & Venues
Inaugural Symposium, Order of St George, 2024
Ukrianian Welcome Centre, London
Canterbury cathedral
British Embassy Paris
Christies, London
Freemason Hall, Covent Garden
St James’s Piccadilly
Leicester cathedral
Diocese of Rochester Annual Archdeaconry Day
The National Archdeacons Conference
Royal School of Ballet
National Army Museum
Chelsea Arts Club
Inaugural Symposium, Order of St Goeorge
Canterbury cathedral
British Embassy Paris
Christies, London
Freemason Hall, Covent Garden
St James’s Piccadilly
Leicester cathedral
Diocese of Rochester Annual Archdeaconry Day
The National Archdeacons Conference
Royal School of Ballet
National Army Museum
Chelsea Arts Club
Cumberland Lodge, Windsor
Bank of America, Merrill Lynch
National Liberal Club, London
The Rifles Museum, Winchester
Imperial War Museum
La Galleria Pall Mall
The Balfour Project Foundation
Thomas’s London Day Schools
Benenden School
St Mary’s School Calne
Francis Holland School