'Shonibare's signature colourful fabrics have a complicated historic import. Shonibare’s oeuvre investigates notions of imperialist authority and power. 'I wanted my work to deal with serious issues in a playful way... it's about providing a space for reflection.
Yinka Shonibare is a British-Nigerian artist who focuses on colonialism, its legacy, and its impact on cultural identity. By using this website you are agreeing to the use of cookies.
'A universal symbol, the motif of the globe 'voids the issue of identity. If I've already decided the outcome, there is no space for thought. 'While he deploys colourful fabrics that are rooted in colonial trade and history, the common thread running through all of his work is a subversive approach to art history, ironic wit and baroque theatricalism.Emerging on the art scene in the 1990s – the same time as the Young British Artists (YBAs) – Shonibare's early practice shared an openness for unconventional mediums and materials. 'But Shonibare's practice is also about deconstructing the dominant narratives of art history, namely the Eurocentric aesthetic traditions underpinning modernism.Published in 1960, Greenberg's influential essay 'Modernist Painting' had praised the work of the American Abstract Expressionists, and advocated a form of flattened, autonomous and self-reflexive painting.Imitating the abstract style of mid-century painting, 'The work went against Greenberg's teaching that art should be autonomous, or follow the doctrine of 'art for art's sake'. ''My work deconstructs the grand narratives rooted in the history of power and empire. 'He adds: 'I wanted my work to be viewed everywhere by everyone. 'I see all of the art forms as connected, and I have never isolated sculpture from other mediums. Why did he create decapitated figures in the first place? Though he admits, 'I never intended to become a 'sculptor'. Yinka Shonibare is a British-Nigerian artist and Member of the ‘Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’ (MBE). To find out more read our updated Enter your email address below and weâll send you a link to reset your passwordYinka Shonibare CBE has stood at the forefront of contemporary British art for the past few decades.We are proud that Shonibare is Art UK's 2019 Patron. 'My work has always incorporated fashion, textiles and popular culture. His sculpture acts as a powerful paradox that shines a light on the relevance of cultural hybridity and postcolonialism.To end our conversation we return to possibly his most iconic work, To which Shonibare replies with a smile: 'If I told you I'd have to kill you first.
Seducing us with its colour and beauty, Shonibare re-interprets Lady Justice for an interior setting, whilst retaining the dramatic impact of the iconic public sculpture. He challenges the status quo rather than pushing a political dogma.