Omeima Mudawi-Rowlings MBE (Arabic: أميمة مضوي, born April 1969) is a British-Sudanese deaf textile artist based in Brighton[1] who is known for services to people with disabilities in the arts.
Her artwork, including dyes, screen printing, and Devoré technique, explores identity, communication, heritage, gender, and Arabic geometry, influenced by her Sudanese ethnicity.
She received numerous awards and honours, including the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to disability inclusion in the arts.
Mudawi-Rowlings described her experience being a deaf student, before the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as being tiring and frustrating as support was only being provided during main lectures.
[7] The following year, Mudawi-Rowlings received a commission from Artichoke to collaborate with local groups in Brighton to design a banner to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Suffrage in the United Kingdom.
[4] Mudawi-Rowlings's dyes, screen printing, and Devoré technique[10] work delves into topics of identity and transformation, communication, heritage, and gender.
[12][13] In addition to her practice, Mudawi-Rowlings works as a mentor and consultant trainer for emerging artists and young people, collaborating with prominent organisations, particularly those interested in inclusive practices[12][14] Mudawi-Rowlings's father is Osman Mudawi, who was one of the founders of the National Congress Party, who ruled Sudan for 30 years until the Sudanese Revolution in 2019.
[18][19] She became a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), awarded in the Queen's New Year's Honours list in 2022 for her "services to people with disabilities in the arts.