World-renowned Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE RA is lighting up the international art scene with his creativity and unique contemporary art. After sharing his artistic technique around the world, the contemporary African artist finally returns to London with a new solo exhibition. Entitled “Suspended States”, it will run until September 1 at the South Serpentine gallery, offering the London public the opportunity to admire the relevance of his work.
For over thirty years, he has explored contemporary culture and national identities, drawing on Western literature and art history. The “Suspended States” exhibition presents his new series of works, which interrogate the influence of systems of power on places of refuge, debates over public status, the ecological impact of colonization, and the legacy of imperialism on conflict and subsequent peace efforts.
Yinka Shonibare CBE RA says: “”Suspended States” addresses the suspension of borders, whether psychological, physical or geographical: all the nation’s borders are suspended. This is an exhibition in which Western iconography is reinvented and interrogated, at a time in history when nationalism, protectionism and hostility towards foreigners are on the rise.”
The “Suspended States” exhibition reveals two major new installations by Yinka Shonibare CBE RA. First, “Sanctuary City” (2024), an immersive and captivating work composed of miniature buildings representing places of refuge for persecuted and vulnerable groups. Secondly, “The War Library” (2024), an impressive creation made up of 5,000 Dutch wax-bound books representing conflicts and peace treaties.
Throughout the exhibition, the Nigerian artist uses Dutch wax in a symbolic way to highlight the complex relationship between Africa and Europe. The fabric’s colorful patterns are inspired by Indonesian batik, widely produced by the Dutch and later sold to the British colonies in West Africa, where it was dubbed “African print”.
In “Decolonised Structures” (2022-2023), Yinka Shonibare CBE RA paints these motifs on her scaled-down replicas of London’s great public sculptures. By recreating colonial figures such as Queen Victoria and Herbert Kitchener, the artist questions the role and presence of these monuments in contemporary society.
The “Suspended States” exhibition highlights not only the luxurious lifestyles sustained by colonization, but also the importance of African art to global culture. Yinka Shonibare CBE RA draws links between the history of xenophobia and the impact of colonization on the environment through her work, including her new series “African Bird Magic” (2024), which poignantly explores these themes.
In addition to his artistic works, the exhibition highlights the artist’s social practice, including his experimental Guest Project space in Hackney and the Guest Artist Space (GAS) Foundation he inaugurated in Nigeria in 2019. These initiatives testify to Yinka Shonibare CBE RA’s commitment to promoting creativity and artistic exchange, as well as to supporting emerging artists and fostering cultural diversity.