Yinka Shonibare Catalogue

Taking place in three of Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s indoor galleries and the open air, FABRIC–ATION featured over 30 vibrant works from the period 2002–2013 including sculpture, film, photography, painting and collage, with many works never before seen in the UK.

Born in London in 1962, Shonibare moved to Nigeria when he was three, later returning to the UK to study art. His work shrewdly explores and confounds stereotypes of race and class, engaging with ideas around identity and authenticity as well as dislocation, multiculturalism, global food production and revolution, often addressed through playful conceits. This approach is part of his determination to avoid being categorised: Shonibare accepted an MBE in 2004, adopting the title into his working name, saying, “it was the last thing you would have expected of me”.

FABRIC–ATION offered invaluable insight into this challenging, political, frivolous and celebratory artist, providing the rare opportunity to enjoy the range of Shonibare’s diverse practice through the dynamic setting of YSP’s indoor exhibition spaces and the open air.