Yinka Shonibare’s (b. 1962, British-
Nigerian) work explores themes of
cultural identity, colonialism, race, and
class. Shonibare belongs to a generation
of Young British Artists who in 1988
began to exhibit highly publicized and
provocative work in London. Using Dutch
wax-printed fabrics—produced and sold
by Europeans to Indonesia as a native
style that subsequently became popular
in West Africa—Shonibare creates
intricate and elaborate paintings and
sculptures that comment on construction
of identity and the entangled relationship
between Africa and Europe and their
respective economic and political
histories. For the artist, the material
signifies these issues and is integral to
the work Untitled, commissioned for the
Peter Norton Family Christmas Project.*
The eclectic architectural style of the
home is emblematic of what Shonibare
refers to as a post-colonial hybrid, which
he defines as “the idea of having this
fusion or hybrid cultural identity and what
that produces.”
–Affinities and Outliers: Highlights from the University at Albany Fine Art Collections