Yinka Shonibare is a British artist with a Nigerian heritage. Born in London and raised between London and Lagos, he identifies himself as a ‘postcolonial hybrid’. His work sheds light on the performance of power.
I came upon his exhibition in the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park by accident after a lunch in the park on May 7.
His work was breathtakingly vivid, evocative, explosive, Afrocentric and spellbinding. He is a celebrated artist with a massive career behind him. The smallish collection exhibited at the Serpentine is a but a taste of his life’s work. But what an outstanding installation he has shared with us. It deserves description and sharing with friends.
The War Library examines the history of war and peace through an installation of 5,270 books bound in Dutch wax print fabric in the designs and colours of African fabrics for the past 100 years. 2,700 of the books have titles written in gold along the spines. These titles are names of conflicts, peace treaties and outrages which have taken place all over the world by colonial or imperial powers.
The War Library is not a comprehensive list of every conflict and peace process, but the staggering number of conflicts and failed treaties provides an emotional reminder of the global and historic role of colonialism and its continuing impact today.
Some of the 2700 conflicts and peace processes noted on the spines of the books include: Bond of 1844, Treaty of Tartu, Zulu Wars, Aba Women’s Riot, Treaty of Addis Ababa, Good Friday Agreement, Cherokee Uprising, Cotu War.
For more information about the artist: https://yinkashonibare.com/