Serpentine South, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA
12 April – 1 September 2024
British Nigerian Yinka Shonibare returns after two decades to the Serpentine Gallery with a compact greatest hits exhibition plus bonus tracks. A constant is his use of Dutch wax patterns – they’re here, there and everywhere.
The Dutch exported mass produced decorative wax fabrics, inspired by Indonesian batik to West Africa during the 19th century. Ironically it became prolific across West Africa reflecting African culture and identity. Cultural authenticity and identities have blurred boundaries, Shonibare reflects on his own identity as British and African. ‘Nothing is straight forward’. ‘Things are not always what they seem’.
Wind Sculpture in Bronze IV. 2024. You are met by a billowing piece of cloth, ‘an African print’, painted in a Dutch wax pattern. Disabled by a neurological condition early on in his life, Shonibare employs a supremely skilled creative team.
Decolonised Structures 2022 – 2023, based on a series of London public sculptures including Queen Victoria, Kitchener and Churchill. These scaled down figures are each highly decorated in the glorious Dutch wax patterns designed by Shonibare. Each figure challenges colonial narratives.
Sanctuary City. In the centre of the exhibition, in the rotunda, is a collection of small model buildings painted black. The room is darkened, lit only by the internal lighting of the small buildings, illuminating the interiors which are decorated in West African prints. The rather vulnerable structures in the low light subtely reflect the predicament of ‘sanctuary seekers’ The buildings include Bibby Stockholm, Dorset, England; The Chinese Methodist Church, Hong Kong, China and The Basmah Shelter, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh and many others.
African Bird Magic (Mauritius Fody &Comoro Blue Vanga), 2023, and African Bird Magic (Sokoke Scops Owl), 2023, patchwork, applique, quilting, hand dyed silk, linen and cotton and Dutch wax print cotton. These vibrant quilts feature endangered birds and African masks, alluding to colonial and environmental issues.
The War Library: 5270 books bound in brightly coloured Dutch wax prints, 2700 spines with titles in gold lettering on masses of white shelving, reflecting continual wars and conflicts. Each title referencing world, peace treaties and imperial ambitions. The blank spines anticipating future events.
You leave this concise and compact Shonibare exhibition with eager anticipation as to what comes next!
