Have you ever paused to admire the vibrant community murals in St. Paul’s or the artwork brightening our local hospitals?
As we embrace the 2026 theme, “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” we celebrate the “generations of brilliance” that ensure Black stories are painted vividly into our local and global fabric. If you don’t know the story of visual artist Gloria Ojulari Sule, you are missing a profoundly moving journey of identity, heritage, and artistic resilience.
From Suffolk to Bristol: A Story of Resilience
Born in London in 1950 to a white English mother and a Black Nigerian father, Gloria’s early years were shaped by profound challenges. The intense racism her parents faced as a mixed couple ultimately led to their separation, resulting in Gloria and her brother being placed in a children’s home in Suffolk. Growing up in care was a negative and isolating experience, worsened by a complete lack of awareness regarding her needs as a Black child, such as staff not understanding how to care for her hair. Yet, these early struggles with systemic barriers became the catalyst for her lifelong artistic exploration of race, identity, and cultural heritage.
“We Proclaim It!” – Reclaiming Roots and Narrative
Moving to Bristol in 1996 after earning her Fine Art degree, Gloria embodied the “We Proclaim It!” spirit by firmly taking control of her narrative.
Deprived of her Nigerian roots as a child, she dedicated her adulthood to researching her father’s Yoruba heritage, weaving this rich, diverse art tradition into her own work.
Operating from her Spike Island studio, she boldly confronted historical truths through paintings like An Artist’s Reflection on Black History, which powerfully references the Windrush and the Brooks slave ship diagram. Through mixed media, painting, drawing, and the use of recycled objects and textiles, she reclaimed the heritage she was once denied, turning personal pain into a vibrant celebration of Black identity.
A Legacy of Innovation: From Bristol to Colombia
Gloria’s artistic brilliance has left an indelible mark on Bristol. She designed beautiful murals at St. Werburgh’s Primary School and a renowned, civic award-winning mural on a Sussex Place dentist’s surgery that celebrated the diverse communities who have settled in Bristol since 1945.
Her lasting impact on the city also includes providing 30 giclee prints for North Bristol NHS Trust wards in 2014, creating 15 artworks for TACT (The Adolescents and Children’s Trust) family rooms in 2017, and producing a 2017 African and African-Caribbean design diaspora installation and moving image project.
Today, her legacy has expanded globally. In 2018, Gloria packed up her life in the UK and moved to Buenaventura, Colombia, for the birth of her grandson, Ife.
Living in Cali, she continued to create powerful exhibitions and projects inspired by the southwest Pacific region.
Her final works focussed on the Afro-Colombian communities of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, drawing deep connections to the transatlantic slave trade, land rights, and the enduring cultural heritage of the African diaspora.
Want to learn more?
Though she created from Colombia, Gloria still frequently reflected on her Bristol roots, sending a heartfelt “Big up Bristol” for the many creative times and wonderful people she met in the city.
To view examples of her community-driven artwork, explore her published greetings cards, or learn more about her inspiring journey, visit her official website at https://gloria-ojulari-sule.weebly.com/.
