A specially-commissioned portrait of an African scholar who was the abbot of one of the county's most historic abbeys in the 7th century has gone on show. The portrait of Abbot Hadrian, abbot of St Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury, was commissioned by English Heritage along with five others across the country showing six historic figures with African heritage. Abbot Hadrian's portrait was brought to life by Clifton Powell, who studied at the Jamaica School of Art in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to the UK in the late 1980s. "Placing their portraits on the walls of those sites is one way we hope to bring their stories to life and share them with a wider audience. Clifton with the other artists commissioned to create portraits for English Heritage's Painting our Past: The African Diaspora in England Picture: English HeritageHis portrait has gone on display at St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury, which is part of the Canterbury World Heritage Site, along with the cathedral and St Martin's Church.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 11, 2021 08:03 UTC