From afar, Yinka Shonibare’s work seems
very perplexing and hard to understand. A mix of materials, patterns and
stuffed animal heads seemed to become a very consistent theme in his latest
exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I have been to the YSP many a time,
but I must say that so far this has been my favourite trip there. I have
studied Yinka’s work previously, so it was great to see it in person.
Yinka always seems to stick to his own style;
his pieces consist of pattern, and lots of it! This exhibition in particular
showed a range of figures, dressed in African type prints and in period
costume. I feel that this really represents who Yinka is, his backgrounds and
his beliefs. His use of print really shows his past. Although Yinka was born in the UK, he moved to
Nigeria when he was very young and you can see where this influences his work.
I also believe that his use of period costume shows his beliefs on class and
colonialism. Personally I feel like Yinka shows this through his work with
ease, once you learn the basics of his background and past. In the exhibition a
video was played explaining a bit about himself and his own work, which really
does clear up the air and any confusion you may have looking around the show.
On
the whole it is a very vibrant and interesting show, it is something that looks
quite fun and silly, but has a deeper meaning tucked away behind it. Initially
it may not be easy to understand about his art, and to be honest, when I first
saw it I didn’t understand it at all. Fox heads, period clothing made from
African pattern, it’s not exactly the most straight forward thing to
understand, but art never is….I think Yinka set the exhibition up in a way that
people could understand. The video would be a tremendous help to anyone new to
his art, and you most certainly get a good insight.
I think that his art does achieve it’s aim, and you get to understand Yinka more as a person, not only as an artist. I really enjoyed this exhibition, and although I feel that the Yorkshire Sculpture Park as a whole is great, Yinka’s work was a great contribution. It’s original to him, which makes it feel special when you go to see it. I find it so interesting how Yinka incorporates history into his work, but in a subtle kind of way, unlike other artists who throw their ideas straight at you.
Out of all the exhibitions/shows I went to, I found that this exhibition in particular had a quirky refreshing feel. It’s not like anything else I have seen before and shows it’s own personal story, which is why I enjoyed it so much.
I think that his art does achieve it’s aim, and you get to understand Yinka more as a person, not only as an artist. I really enjoyed this exhibition, and although I feel that the Yorkshire Sculpture Park as a whole is great, Yinka’s work was a great contribution. It’s original to him, which makes it feel special when you go to see it. I find it so interesting how Yinka incorporates history into his work, but in a subtle kind of way, unlike other artists who throw their ideas straight at you.
Out of all the exhibitions/shows I went to, I found that this exhibition in particular had a quirky refreshing feel. It’s not like anything else I have seen before and shows it’s own personal story, which is why I enjoyed it so much.
