The hunt for the mystery man in a painting

A photo of a painting hanging in a gallery, the paining portrays a man sat resting on a walking aid looking out towards the River Humber, with the Humber Bridge behind him. A tree frames the scene.Image source, Emma Prempeh
Image caption,

Did you take a break to gaze at the Humber during May?

  • Published

An artist is trying to track down a mystery man who inspired her latest work of art near the Humber Bridge.

Emma Prempeh, 29, was seeking inspiration as she walked along the Hessle foreshore in May, when she came across a man with a zimmer frame who looked "really serene".

Describing the scene as "the perfect image", Ms Prempeh asked the man for his permission to take a photograph, but did not get his details.

She said she would "love" to meet her muse to say thank you and show him the finished result.

Ms Prempeh said: "I keep thinking 'why didn't I get his name?' I wish I could locate him. To me it would mean a lot."

A professional portrait of the artist, a woman with afro hair pulled back into a ponytail. She is wearing a formal dress and sits on a grey chair. There is a painting behind her and a lamp to the side.Image source, Ellyse Anderson
Image caption,

Emma Prempeh's work is inspired by home, identity, and memory

Ms Prempeh said, after completing the artwork, it felt "weird" to not know who the subject was.

Describing the man in the image she told BBC Radio Humberside: "You're immortalised in a way and it will live forever, and there's a beauty in that."

Ms Prempeh's latest exhibition, The Nearness of Elsewhere, is inspired by her African-Caribbean heritage alongside her recent time spent in Hull.

It will be on display at the 87 Gallery in Princes Avenue until 19 December.

Media caption,

The hunt for the mystery man in the picture

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here, external.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store, external for iPhone and iPad or Google Play, external for Android devices

Related internet links