Wind Sculpture II

Known for his figurative works that use brightly patterned fabric to explore cultural identity, Shonibare (born in London to Nigerian parents) here transforms a wisp of cloth into a monumental sculpture. “None of us have isolated identities anymore,” he says, “and that’s a factor of globalization ultimately. I suppose I’m a direct product of that. The fabrics I use also look like they could be just African … but the fabric has a complicated history in its trade routes: it was originally designed as an Indonesian fabric, produced by the Dutch, and the British sold it into the African market. It’s a perfect metaphor for multilayered identities.”