Artist Research Assignment

Yinka Shonibare

Yinka Shonibare MBE RA was born in London, and at the age of three moved to Lagos, Nigeria. Later, he moved back to London to study Fine Art, first at Byam Shaw College of Art, and then at Goldsmiths College, where he received his MFA. He graduated as part of the ‘Young British Artists’ generation. He was notably commissioned by Okwui Enwezor at Documenta 10 in 2002, this led to his creation of his most recognized work ‘Gallantry and Criminal Conversation,’ this launched him into international fame. Shonibare was a Turner prize nominee in 2004, and awarded the decoration of Member of the “Most Excellent Order of the British Empire”. This title has been added to his professional name, "MBE". In September 2008, his major mid-career survey commenced at the MCA Sydney and toured to the Brooklyn Museum, New York in June 2009, and then at the Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC in October 2009. 'Nelson's Ship in a Bottle', in 2010, became his first public art commission on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. In 2013 he was elected Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts, also including "RA" in his professional name. Currently he is living and working in the East End of London. Over the past decade, Shonibare has become interested in colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation; his work expresses these issues. He also is inspired by the ideas of race and class. Through painting, sculpture, photography and, more recently film and performance, he expresses these influences that he strongly connects with. Using this wide range of techniques, Shonibare also examines the construction of identity, and the interrelationship between Africa and Europe, and their economic and political histories. Through the use of Western art history and literature, he questions what constitutes our collective contemporary identity in today's world. He often describes himself as a ‘post-colonial’ hybrid.
I really enjoyed the scultures done by Shonibare. Each sculpture is so unique and creative. I was attractd to his art by the use of bright colors and interesting visuals each sculpture permitted.