Brilliant Ideas Episode #4:
Yinka Shonibare

Shonibare was born in London in 1962. His family moved to Lagos, Nigeria, when he was 3 years old, where he stayed until he returned to the U.K. for higher education. From a young age, he showed great interest in art, and harbored dreams of becoming an artist. Shonibare returned to United Kingdom in his late teens to study art, when his tutor suggested that his work “be more African,” as that was where his roots lay. This led him to search for and explore authentic African-ness.
His journey took him to an African textile shop in the Brixton Market in South London, which is represented by a diverse African and Caribbean community. It was there that the budding conceptual artist discovered the core tenets of his art. Shonibare found that the best African fabric was actually manufactured in the Netherlands and exported to Africa, and that the wax prints were originally inspired by Javanese batiks. The fabric that was most typically considered “authentic African,” was in fact the product of an imperialist and colonialist history.

In 1997, Shonibare participated in a group exhibition by Charles Saatchi, the world-famous collector. Fittingly titled “Sensation,” the controversial exhibition presented selected works from Saatchi’s personal collection. Among them were works by Shonibare, which brought him worldwide exposure and reputation. Juxtaposed alongside provocative works by the other members of YBAs, Shonibare presented two mannequins dressed in Victorian-era garb. Circle Art Agency Director Danda Jaroljmek expressed a great appreciation for Shonibare’s decision to present with a more subtle charm, describing him as an artist who knew how to “address important issues in a lighthearted way.”
Shonibare’s most recent works move beyond the African continent, toward more contemporary global issues. The 2015 “Rage of the Ballet Gods” exhibition at the James Cohan Gallery in New York investigated the reality of modern society suffering from the growing effects of climate change induced by greenhouse gas. Three ballerina sculptures were presented, each a recreation of an icon from Greek mythology: Zeus, Apollo and Poseidon. Each figure was dynamically paused mid- movement, fitted in colorfully made outfits with globes for their heads. Each mannequin carried a large symbolic token—a thunderbolt, a lyre, a trident. However, the resplendent appearance of his sculptures contain a far darker subject matter. The artist created a satirical depiction of the selfish neglect and willful ignorance of the humans who have caused such environmental havoc by depicting the Greek as all-powerful. The old Greek gods control even the climate in this world, as flamboyantly as ballerinas.

British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare sublimates sorrow in his art. Working in sculpture, painting, installation and video, he creates brilliant and moving works. While his works express the dark history of Western imperialism and colonialism in Africa, they maintain a beautiful quality. At the age of 18, the artist suffered an illness that left him partially paralyzed. However his physical disability has not stopped him from becoming an active figure in the world of art.

Shonibare came into the spotlight as part of the YBA (Young British Artists), considered the first generation of contemporary British art. He was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 2004, and was the representative artist for the African Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2001 and 2007. He also attracted the interest of the international art world by participating in DOCUMENTA 11 in 2002.