Ahead of a fascinating new exhibition in Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Elinor Davies looks at the work of Yinka Shonibare.
British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare MBE is welcomed by Glynn Vivian for an exhibition connected to Nawr Yr Arwr/Now The Hero, a mini-festival centred around Brangwyn’s British Empire Panels that survey the contours of “war, peacetime, unity and harmony”. For those familiar with Shonibare’s art and intention, they’ll know his work will merge seamlessly with this series. He explores the hybridity of his background and physical disability in his exhibition, End Of Empire. The sense of intertextuality between each piece reveals why he is currently one of the leading artists at work in the UK, currently exhibiting a piece situated in New York’s Central Park.
Describing himself as a “post-colonial hybrid”, a take on historic global politics which resonates interestingly in the world’s current complex political climate, End Of Empire explores how professed alliances made in WWI altered British civilization as well others worldwide, continuing to impact us today. Like most of his work, End Of Empire can be characterized by his thorough research and reading; The British Museum, for example, grapples with the consequences of immigration on British culture, whether what it means to be British has been affected and what implications this has for the future. His exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism can be attributed to his vivid batik-patterned textiles, his “visual emblem”, which Shonibare has been using since 1994 as a pivot of African identity.
These textiles are only a fraction of the colours and diverse shapes he uses, which all contribute to this fascinating collection of artworks. Acceptance is central to Shonibare’s philosophy, and his installation hopes to reflect the contemporary zeitgeist. The motifs in his artwork are signifiers of his personal views, such as his frequent use of headless, near-identical mannequins – which, though often dressed in ostentatious ways, highlight Shonibare’s notion of equality and his own desire of wanting to produce positive changes through creativity and social evolution.
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, until Sun 24 Feb. Admission: free. Info: 01792 516900 / www.swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian