Yinka Shonibare: African Queens

(jiří macek) One source of inspiration for the unusual installations by Yinka Shonibare can be found in the lifestyle of European royal courts that was transferred to the world of colonial Africa. The beauty and absurdity of his fascinating 3D fashion editorials that are exhibited in the MCA Sydney will take your breath away.

Yinka Shonibare, one of the most interesting contemporary British artists, is a son of a successful Nigerian lawyer. Although born in London, he lived with his parents in Lagos until the age of sixteen and perceives himself as an artist of two cultures. The diffusion of the two cultures and identity-related questions create the background of his work. As the basic means of expression, he uses richly decorated textiles that hint at African fabrics, even though they often do not come from Africa. The clothes that Yinka Shonibare makes are stylized as figures from Victorian England and mingled with a visually exquisite presentation of haute couture and luxury. He depicts situations in which he quotes royal courts and the customs of European and African cultures and plays with them a bizarre theatre of the present world.

The Museum of Contemporary (MCA) in Sydney hosts, most likely, the most extensive exhibition of Yinka Shonibare thus far – visitors can see it until February 1. Later, the prestigious Brooklyn Museum of Art will host it from June 26 to September 20.

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