Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rowena Griffiths MBE, 2019

Oil on canvas by Nneka Uzoigwe, 2019.

Rowena Griffiths entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1986, just two years after it had been made open to women. Her first posting was as Assistant Adjutant with the King's Scottish Own Borderers, making her the first woman to join the regiment. After serving with them in Colchester and Berlin, she became the Adjutant for 2 Ordnance Battalion and then for 40 Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport. Griffiths returned to Germany as Staff Officer of HQ I Armoured Division. Other roles followed culminating in being made Chief of Staff Rear for Operation HERRICK 15, Afghanistan. For this she was awarded an MBE. Her final posting was at the Joint Warfare Centre in Stravanger, Norway.

Nneka Uzoigwe is an artist with a particular interest in flora, who has studied at the London Fine Art Studios since 2015.

The portrait was produced as part of a series of live painting events at the National Army Museum during its 'Rise of the Lionesses' exhibition in 2019. Five artists produced five portraits of inspirational female veterans who served in either the Women's Royal Army Corps or the Auxiliary Territorial Service. The soldiers discussed their military careers and post-military lives while their portraits were being painted.