British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare, who first exhibited at London’s Serpentine gallery in 1992, returns with his first institutional solo exhibition in over 20 years. Titled ‘Suspended States’ (12 April – 1 September 2024), the show sees Shonibare dive into themes of refuge, shelter, the ecological impact of colonisation, imperialism, and the consequential attempts at peace. The new exhibition of sculptures, quilts and woodcut prints also features two new large-scale installations titled Sanctuary City and War Library, and coincides with the artist’s presentation at the Venice Biennale 2024.
Yinka Shonibare’s ‘Suspended States’ at Serpentine South
Yinka Shonibare, Decolonised Structures (Roberts), 2022, Fibreglass sculpture, hand-painted with Dutch wax pattern goldleaf and wooden plinth
‘My work has always been about the crossing of boundaries: geographically, visually, historically, and conceptually,’ said Shonibare, who is the founding artist of art and educational project The World Reimagined, which addressed the Transatlantic slave trade. ‘“Suspended States” is an exhibition that addresses the suspension of boundaries, whether psychological, physical, geographical – all boundaries of nationhood are in a state of suspense. This is an exhibition in which Western iconology is reimagined and interrogated, at a moment from history when nationalism, protectionism, and hostility towards foreigners are on the rise.’
The artist’s interdisciplinary practice uses citations of Western art history and literature to question and comment on the political and economic history of Africa and Europe, and their tangled relationship.
Yinka Shonibare, Decolonised Structures (Frere), 2022. Fibreglass sculpture, hand-painted with Dutch wax pattern and wooden plinth
Sanctuary City is a new installation that consists of miniature versions of buildings that have currently, or historically, been places of refuge, from a Chinese Methodist Church in Hong Kong to ancient sites such as The Temple of Theseus in Greece. Shonibare incorporates his trademark technique of Dutch wax print – inspired by Indonesian batik designs, mass-produced by the Dutch and then sold to British colonies in West Africa – into the interior of the buildings, which glow from within while their exteriors are painted black, emphasising the humanitarian need for shelter around the world.
Yinka Shonibare, Decolonised Structures (Queen Victoria), 2022, Fibreglass sculpture, hand-painted with Dutch wax pattern and wooden plinth
War Library features 5,000 books bound in Dutch wax print. Along each spine, gold lettering indicates what lies within, nodding to peace treaty titles and conflicts. Shonibare hints at ‘human amnesia’ with mankind's attitude towards repeating previous traumas inflicted on humanity. Draped throughout the exhibition, his quilt series African Bird Magic intertwines images of African artefacts that inspired Western modernism with endangered bird species. The conflicting imagery nods to the climate emergency, and the damage to the environment caused by colonial industrialisation.
Shonibare’s mediaeval map drawn from imagery of Hereford Cathedral is the centrepiece for Creatures of Mappa Mundi, which reflects ‘the contemporary concerns of fear of the stranger which often leads to xenophobia’. This runs parallel with Decolonised Structures, Unstructured Icons, and Cowboy Angels, which highlight how luxurious lifestyles are supported through exploitation and colonisation, and the importance of African art on global culture.
‘Suspended States’ by Yinka Shonibare is on display at Serpentine South from 12 April-1 September 2024
-
Put these emerging artists on your radarThis crop of six new talents is poised to shake up the art world. Get to know them now
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeksDesigned by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
Creased, crumpled: S/S 2025 menswear is about clothes that have ‘lived a life’The S/S 2025 menswear collections see designers embrace the creased and the crumpled, conjuring a mood of laidback languor that ran through the season – captured here by photographer Steve Harnacke and stylist Nicola Neri for Wallpaper*
-
Artist Qualeasha Wood explores the digital glitch to weave stories of the Black female experienceIn ‘Malware’, her new London exhibition at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, the American artist’s tapestries, tuftings and videos delve into the world of internet malfunction
-
Ed Atkins confronts death at Tate BritainIn his new London exhibition, the artist prods at the limits of existence through digital and physical works, including a film starring Toby Jones
-
Tom Wesselmann’s 'Up Close' and the anatomy of desireIn a new exhibition currently on show at Almine Rech in London, Tom Wesselmann challenges the limits of figurative painting
-
A major Frida Kahlo exhibition is coming to the Tate Modern next yearTate’s 2026 programme includes 'Frida: The Making of an Icon', which will trace the professional and personal life of countercultural figurehead Frida Kahlo
-
A portrait of the artist: Sotheby’s puts Grayson Perry in the spotlightFor more than a decade, photographer Richard Ansett has made Grayson Perry his muse. Now Sotheby’s is staging a selling exhibition of their work
-
Celia Paul's colony of ghostly apparitions haunts Victoria MiroEerie and elegiac new London exhibition ‘Celia Paul: Colony of Ghosts’ is on show at Victoria Miro until 17 April
-
Teresa Pągowska's dreamy interpretations of the female form are in London for the first time‘Shadow Self’ in Thaddaeus Ropac’s 18th-century townhouse gallery in London, presents the first UK solo exhibition of Pągowska’s work
-
Sylvie Fleury's work in dialogue with Matisse makes for a provocative exploration of the female form'Drawing on Matisse, An Exhibition by Sylvie Fleury’ is on show until 2 May at Luxembourg + Co
