PHOTOGRAPHS: PAMELA HANSON, STARTRAKSPHOTO.COM, COURTESY OF CELIA PAULCONTR IBUTORS
HELENABONHAM CARTER
PA MEL A
HANSONCELIA
PAUL
Born in India, the artist studied
at the Slade School of Fine Art
and has become one of Britain’s
leading figurative painters,
known for her otherworldly
portraits of friends and family.
On the eve of the publication of
her memoir, Self Portrait, she
grants Bazaar a rare audience
in her Bloomsbury studio.
Your woman of the year
‘Paula Rego. Her great
exhibition at Milton Keynes
this year, curated by Catherine
Lampert, was a revelation to
me. The paintings are inventive
and subversive, and I can’t get
them out of my mind.’
Your ultimate female role
model ‘Alice Neel, for her
wit and energy, and the way
she kept painting whatever
the circumstances.’
What sisterhood means to
you ‘I am one of five sisters,
so it means everything to me.’‘I don’t think I’ve ever been
happier or more fulfilled,’ says
the Bafta-winning actress of the
latest chapter in her remarkably
varied career. Since making her
screen debut as a teenager,
Bonham Carter has appeared
in films ranging from Howards
End to the Harry Potter
franchise, and was awarded
a CBE in 2011. In this issue,
she tells Bazaar how a psychic
helped her tackle the role of
Princess Margaret in The Crown.
Your ultimate female role
model ‘I k now it sounds a s i f
I haven’t broken my umbilical
cord, but it has to be my
mother. When Shakespeare
wrote of Cleopatra, “Age
cannot wither her, nor custom
stale/Her infinite variety”, he
was really describing my mum.’
What sisterhood means to
you ‘Female friendship is one
of my mainstays of life. I have
a ring of women, mostly from
school, who have been steadfast
through all emotional weathers.’
Who or what makes you feel
empowered? ‘A g r e a t p a i r o f
chunky-soled shoes or boots
that ground me.’Bor n in L ondon, ra ised in
Geneva and based in New
York, the photographer
studied art history in Colorado
before embarking on a career
that has seen her work all over
the world. Her images have
been displayed in several
exhibitions, and she has
published three photography
books. In this issue, Hanson
has photographed Helena
Bonham Carter for our
Women of the Year portfolio.
Your ultimate female role
model ‘Gloria Steinem.’
What sisterhood means to
you ‘Strong friendships – I am
blessed to have some amazing
women in my life.’
Who or what makes you feel
empowered? ‘Seeing women
being brave, standing their
ground and speaking out.’Page 174
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RUTH
WILSONThe Golden Globe winner and
Bafta nominee has had starring
roles on both stage and screen,
including a career-defining
performance as her own
grandmother in Mrs Wilson.
As she takes on the challenge
of playing Mrs Coulter in
a new TV adaptation of Philip
Pullman’s His Dark Materials,
she meets Bazaar to discuss
method, malice and magic.
Your woman of the year
‘Greta Thunberg. If we all had
the courage and clarity she has
at 16, the world would be an
infinitely better place.’
Your ultimate female role
model ‘Virginia McKenna.
She has dedicated her life to
the cause of others, and has
done it w it h g race, love a nd
integ r it y. We need more
people like her in the world.’
What sisterhood means to
you ‘I grew up with brothers,
so it’s a little oblique to me, but
what I believe in is community.
There is no greater feeling than
being on set when people of all
ages, genders and ethnicities
are working together.’Page 216