Yinka Shonibare, CBE

London, United Kingdom

Art Medium

Installation Art Sculpture Textile & Fiber Art

Art Style

Conceptual Figurative Weaving

About the Artist

Yinka Shonibare, CBE (born 1962 in London, UK), is a highly influential British-Nigerian artist renowned for his provocative and richly layered works across sculpture, painting, photography, film, and installation. His iconic use of Dutch wax batik fabric, a textile with a complex colonial history, serves as a powerful leitmotif to explore issues of race, class, identity, and the legacies of colonialism and globalization. Shonibare often re-contextualizes famous works of Western art history and literature, using headless mannequins adorned in his signature fabric to critique prevailing narratives and expose their inherent contradictions. His visually striking and intellectually rigorous practice challenges viewers to consider the hybridity of cultural identity and the ongoing impact of historical power structures.

Contact & Social