Art / Vanessa Haarhoff
Bristol artist to feature in Christmas range supporting disabled painters
With Christmas fast approaching, the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA), a collective of disabled artists who paint using only their mouths or feet, has launched its 2025 festive range.
The collection includes cards, calendars, puzzles and wrapping paper.
Among the contributors is Bristol-based artist Vanessa Haarhoff, whose eye-catching designs feature on the organisation’s new Christmas wrapping papers.
Founded in 1956, the MFPA operates as a self-help partnership, supporting artists with disabilities to earn an independent living through their artwork.
Bristol-based artist Vanessa Haarhoff’s designs feature on the MFPA’s new Christmas wrapping paper – photo: MFPA
Their paintings are reproduced on high-end products and sold around the world, with proceeds helping artists sustain their careers without reliance on charity.
For Vanessa, who paints using her mouth following a spinal injury that left her paralysed in her teens, the MFPA has been both a creative and professional lifeline.
During her rehabilitation period, she picked up a brush using her mouth for the first time, where she discovered a new medium to connect with the world.
Originally from Zimbabwe, Vanessa worked in journalism before settling in Bristol, where she continues to develop her artistic practice.
Working from her studio in Henleaze, she often depicts animals and natural scenes, especially of Africa, in vivid watercolours that capture both finesse and boldness.
Each year, the MFPA’s Christmas range draws attention not only for its beauty but also for its business model, one that combines creativity, entrepreneurship and inclusion.
Rather than operating as a traditional charity, the organisation licenses artwork and shares profits among its members, enabling them to build sustainable livelihoods.
With designs by Vanessa and other artists across the UK, every purchase supports a network of more than 800 painters worldwide who refuse to let disability limit their ambitions.
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The collective promises to be a platform of resilience and independence, beyond spreading the festive cheer.
The full 2025 Christmas collection is available to order online at www.mfpa.co.uk
Main photo: Vanessa Haarhoff
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