Friends' tributes to artist after police find body on Tube tracks

by · Mail Online

Friends of 31-year-old artist Sarah Cunningham have been paying tribute to the 'fantastically talented' woman after police said they had found a body on Tube tracks in their search for her.

Officers launched an investigation when the painter went missing in Camden, north London, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Metropolitan Police had said the last sighting of the 5ft 3in artist was at around 3am in Jamestown Road, Camden, on November 2.

Ms Cunningham's boyfriend Jack Brown said she was spotted 'leaving an apartment building on Jamestown Road' at around 2.30am.

In a update on Monday, the police said that a body had been found at nearby Chalk Farm Underground Station just after 1am that morning - nearly 48 hours after she vanished.

British artist Sarah Cunningham (pictured) went missing in Camden in the early hours of Saturday morning
Sarah Cunningham is pictured in Seoul just over a week before she went missing in Camden
Ms Cunningham's boyfriend, Jack Brown, had issued a desperate appeal on social media for any information that could help find her

Although the body is yet to be formally identified, family have been told of the development and tributes are pouring in.

One person, Daniel Ison, said on Facebook he was 'completely shocked and heartbroken' to learn about the fate Sarah Cunningham whom he had known since they were 'about 6'.

Mr Ison added: 'She was always such a warm, silly, positive, funny and a fantastically talented person.

'She had so much life ahead of her. Sending love and support to Sarah's family, Fernwood family and whoever else this wonderful person touched the life of.'

BACKLIT Gallery, a Nottingham-based studio where Sarah used to work, said: 'The BACKLIT team and studio community is devastated by the loss of our dear friend and former resident, Sarah Cunningham.

Ms Cunningham, 31, (pictured, left) was last seen on Jamestown Road, Camden, at around 3am on the morning of November 2
Ms Cunningham has been described as a 'fantastically talented' by those who knew Fine Art graduate

'Sarah was one of our most committed and caring people to work with, who had achieved great success with their artwork.

'We send our heartfelt condolences to Sarah's friends and family at this time.

'We hope to come together and support one another as a community while we mourn the loss of such an exceptional and much-loved person.'

Kimberley-Rose Abbott, who had worked with Sarah in studios, described her as an 'incredible artist', 'such a loving person' and a 'beautiful soul'.

She added: 'You will always be loved by so many that you touched through your creativity and kindness.

'I'll always cherish our time in the studios and working with one another.

'My condolences to all family and friends of Sarah.'

Another person, Taidi Wilkins, said her daughter had known Sarah Cunningham and that 'she has left a big hole in everyone's heart'.

This is the last photo that Sarah Cunningham shared on social media. It was taken during a trip to Seoul, South Korea 

Nora Mayer added: 'I didn’t know Sarah, but she was one of the Bomb Factory community of artists, based at the Chelsea studios. A wonderful painter, very widely liked and admired.'

A gifted artist, Ms Cunningham's work has been exhibited all around the world, including in Berlin, Los Angeles, Aspen and Vancouver. Between June and July, her work was on display at the Lisson Gallery in LA.

According to her social media posts, she had also visited Seoul, South Korea, last month where her work was being exhibited in a Burberry store.

Born in Nottingham in 1993, Ms Cunningham went on to study Fine Art at Loughborough University from 2012 to 2015 before completing a masters in painting at the Royal College of Art between 2019 and 2022.

The painter was also the recipient of the Ali. H Alkazzi Scholarship Award, which offers the chosen artist full funding and living expenses at the Royal College of Art.

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Police hunting for missing artist Sarah Cunningham find body on tracks at North London Tube station

The Lisson Gallery said of her work: 'Throughout this exhibition, Cunningham explores aerial and bodily movements, flipping directions and orientations until reaching that moment when verticality and horizontality shift or tilt beyond recognition – when up becomes down, or left suddenly turns right.'

Jamie Klingler, co-founder of the Reclaim These Streets group which campaigns to prevent violence against women, has previously shared appeals to find Ms Cunningham and said she had been in contact with the family.

She said that the last sighting of Ms Cunningham was of her getting into a dark Vauxhall with a man with long dark hair, heading to Islington.

But it is understood that the sighting was investigated by detectives, who concluded the woman in question was not Ms Cunningham.

A Met Police spokesman said: '​At around 01:11hrs on Monday, 4 November emergency services were called to reports of a casualty on the tracks at Chalk Farm Underground Station.​

'While we await formal identification, Sarah's family have been informed of this development. They have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time.​

'Officers from the Met are working with colleagues in the British Transport Police to look into the circumstances.​

'​The death is being treated as unexpected but at this time it is not thought to be suspicious.'

MailOnline has contacted the police force for further comment.