A new portrait of LMH alumna and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai (2017, PPE) was unveiled at Lady Margaret Hall on Friday 6 February. Painted by portrait artist Isabella Watling, the work was commissioned by LMH in collaboration with the Oxford Pakistan Programme, thanks to the support of a generous donor.
Malala Yousafzai with her portrait
The unveiling took place at LMH’s annual Founders and Benefactors Dinner, which celebrates the achievements of the College community and recognises the generosity of benefactors past and present.
Malala studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at LMH, graduating in 2020, and is an internationally recognised advocate for girls’ education. In 2014, she became the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for her work promoting the right to education for girls. Through Malala Fund, she continues to campaign globally to ensure that every girl has access to at least 12 years of free, safe and quality education. She was elected as an Honorary Fellow of LMH in 2024.
Malala is also a member of the Advisory Body for the Oxford Pakistan Programme, which fosters academic links between Oxford and Pakistan, providing scholarships for Pakistani and British Pakistani students studying at the University of Oxford.
Reflecting on the experience of painting the portrait, Isabella Watling said: “It was a huge honour to paint Malala's portrait. In the picture, I wanted to try and capture some of her strength and grace. I found it was unusually challenging to finish, because of the pressure of painting such a well-known face.”
The portrait recognises Malala’s achievements and the global impact of her work as an advocate for girls’ education. Reflecting on its significance, Malala said:
“I am incredibly grateful to Lady Margaret Hall for commissioning this portrait and for the trust it represents. I accept this honour with the hope that it helps open doors for many others. More than anything, I hope it serves as a reminder that a girl from Swat Valley belongs here — and that the next girl from a village in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or anywhere else — belongs here too.”
Malala with artist Isabella Watling
Malala Yousafzai giving a speech at LMH's Founders and Benefactors dinner
Isabella Watling was born in London in 1990 and spent her early years in the UK and Australia. She trained at the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, where she continues to teach portrait and figure painting, and now lives and works in London.
Trained in sight-size portraiture in the tradition of Van Dyck, Velázquez and Sargent, Isabella paints directly from her sitters at life scale and under natural light. Much of her work is commission-based, and she has painted across Europe and the United States. Her portraits have been exhibited widely, including at the National Portrait Gallery, London; The Importance of Being Glenn was shown in the BP Portrait Award in 2012. In 2024, one of her paintings was awarded second place in the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award and exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery.
