The show brings various ongoing bodies of work into dialogue, including new quilts, hand-painted bronze and textile sculptures, and positions the multidisciplinary artist as one of the leading voices to explore postcolonialism and hybridity in contemporary art.
Born in London, raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Shonibare has always experienced the world by navigating, and somehow bridging, distinct cultures. Decolonial studies continue to show how defining a sense of identity and belonging is far more complex than solely relying on what can be found in a national archive.
By tracing the history of Dutch wax textiles, Shonibare uncovers the deep layers of complexity embedded within them and conveys the impossibility of pinning down an artifact as authentic. Rooted in Indonesian textile traditions, the hand-crafted wax fabric was appropriated by the Dutch colonisers who began mass-manufacturing it in the 1850s. Its commercialisation failed in Indonesia however because consumers rejected the lower quality of European factory production. Instead, it found a thriving market along the colonial trade routes of West Africa.