Through life-sized sculptures, artist Yinka Shonibare CBE considers the grasp of colonialism and its lasting effects on modern conceptions of identity. Each faceless modern art figure is in the midst of an action, presented shooting a mass of cherry blossoms from a rifle, lumbering forward with a hefty mesh sack, or balancing a towering stack of cakes.
These art sculpture figures vocatively posed, the figures are topped with globes and astronaut helmets, which simultaneously gestures toward movement in the form of travel and exploration while obscuring individual identities.
“Woman Shooting Cherry Blossoms” (2019), unique fiberglass sculpture, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, bespoke hand-colored globe, steel, brass, zamak, wood, resin, and silk, 244 x 193 x 436 centimeters “Refugee Astronaut (2015),” sculptures, fiberglass, a printed cotton, net, wood, metal, and plastic objects, and steel baseplate, 208 x 93 x 90 centimeters “Girl Balancing Knowledge” (2015), fiberglass mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, books, globe, and steel baseplate, 179 x 139 x 89 centimeters
Known for using patterned textiles across mediums, the British-Nigerian modern artist,Yinka Shonibare, outfits his surreal modern sculptures with Batik fabrics, which have a history rooted in colonialism.
Left: “Butterfly Kid (Boy)” (2015), fiberglass mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, silk, metal, globe, leather, and steel baseplate, 127 x 75 x 88 centimeters. Right: “Planets in My Head, Music (French Horn)” (2019), fiberglass mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, French horn, globe, and steel baseplate, 137 × 55 × 51 centimeters “Cake Man IV” (2015), fiberglass mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, pocket watch, plaster, polystyrene, globe, leather and steel baseplate, 315 x 140 x 92 centimeters.
One of the world’s foremost artists, Yinka Shonibare CBE, has announced the development of his new artist residency in Lagos, Nigeria, due to open in 2021.
“Child on Unicycle,” 2005 “Planets in My Head (Trumpet Girl)” (2018), fiberglass mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, trumpet, globe, and steel baseplate, 160 x 69 x 50 centimeters
The Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to facilitating international artistic and cultural exchange and developing creative modern design practices through artist residencies and international collaborations.
