I wonder if Shonibare – an alumnus of the seminal Sensation exhibition, and therefore part of the unafraid-to-be-entrepreneurial YBA generation – finds an irony in the way that being a successful artist in the UK is akin to being part of the aristocracy. '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. Dark clouds loom above the deserted pavements of Savile Row, where headless besuited mannequins eerily guard the windows of London’s most famous bespoke tailors. 'I wanted my work to deal with serious issues in a playful way... it's about providing a space for reflection. The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes Show Sizes Sizes available. Shonibare returned to London in 1979 where he studied at Byam Shaw School of Art (now Central Saint Martins) before obtaining his MFA from Goldsmiths College.Shonibare was awarded Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’ (MBE) in 2004. Meanwhile, during lockdown, he has had time to reflect, away from the travelling that comes with a contemporary art career. They have become a signature in his art – which has continued to appreciate in value.In 2018, the sculpture Girl Balancing Knowledge (2015) was sold at auction for £236,750. He notes, 'as a medium, sculpture has always been more closely associated with the elite. A key material in Shonibare's work since 1994 is the brightly coloured "African" fabric (Dutch wax-printed cotton) that he buys himself from Brixton market in London. 'I see all of the art forms as connected, and I have never isolated sculpture from other mediums. The artist Yinka Shonibare MBE (Photo by Marcus Leith, ©Royal Academy of Arts, London) The artist Yinka Shonibare MBE is renowned for sculptures of headless figures in vibrantly colored, richly textured costumes that recall Britain’s imperial era—though their visual splendor slowly gives way to themes of colonialism, globalism, and identity that he approaches in exceptionally nuanced ways. Pointing to both future explorers and historic ones, the work hints at the exploitation of foreign lands and indigenous communities.A prophetic glimpse into a near future, Shonibare explains that, 'What distinguishes Shonibare as an artist is his ability to collapse the political and playful – the past, present and future. You don’t see the relationship between the British gentry and the slaves either.”In recent weeks, though, Britain’s uneasy relationship with its slave-trading past has come to the fore. Yinka Shonibare, 'Justice for All' (2019) at the Stephen Friedman Gallery
It took me at least three years to be able to start walking again.” Later, however, there was a further deterioration.
Boris didn’t have power then. 'I was not taking influence from the sculptural practices of Henry Moore or Barbara Hepworth... nor even my closer contemporaries at Lisson Gallery like Richard Long or Richard Deacon. Around 1989, he began using brightly coloured Dutch wax fabrics. Find an in-depth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. It prevents the work from alienating groups of people. “It’s a start,” says Shonibare, “but they’ll never have enough money to actually compensate for the damage – the psychological damage and the loss of identity cannot be paid for.” As for the statue felling that the Black Lives Matter protests have precipitated, he believes it’s unfair to have monuments to those who “have been involved in that horrific trade”, but says you have to have consensus: “I don’t think you can just go into communities and do what you like.” He is not calling for statues to be destroyed, either, and believes there should be a national slavery museum. 'My practice has always been rooted in postcolonial and deconstructive theory; the texts of Edward Said and Jacques Derrida.
He remained there until the age of 17, when he decided to return to London to pursue an art degree.He went on to study Fine Art at Central Saint Martins (formerly known as the Byam Shaw School of Art) and then at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he received an MFA in 1991.As a young art student, Shonibare found himself drawn to sculptural forms rather than painting. 'African' or Dutch wax prints, originally stemmed from the process of Indonesian batik (a wax-based technique), which was later industrialised by the Dutch colonisers.
All rights reserved. 'My work has always incorporated fashion, textiles and popular culture. The UK art galleries reopening in July & August – and the best exhibitions to see Now available. Yinka Shonibare, 'Nelson's ship in a Bottle' (2010) An elephant in Rome: the story behind the city's oddest attraction “Visual arts and culture generally in the Seventies were really thriving before military rule,” he recalls. 'So should we regard Shonibare as a 'political' artist? Why did he create decapitated figures in the first place? I think the British Government should study that model carefully and do a similar thing over here.
There is no such thing as a 'no deal'. If I've already decided the outcome, there is no space for thought.