YINKA SHONIBARE • Mennour is thrilled to announce the representation of British artist Yinka Shonibare (1962-).
Born in London to Nigerian parents, he moved to Lagos at the age of three. Returning to England to study Fine Art at Byam Shaw School of Art, London and received his MFA from
@goldsmithscca .
His interdisciplinary practice employs physical materials such as Dutch wax textiles and bronze as vehicles for exploring complex historical, political, and cultural ideas. In doing so, the work uses material history as a lens for broader reflection, inviting a rethinking of how we perceive culture and encourage new ways of understanding the world around us.
In 2002, Shonibare was commissioned by Okwui Enwezor to create an installation for Documenta XI. In 2004, he was nominated for the Turner Prize, and in 2008 his mid-career survey began at the
@mca_australia , Sydney travelling to the
@brooklynmuseum , New York and the
@smithsonian_africanart , Washington D.C. in 2009. In 2010, his first public art commission was displayed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London, and now resides in the permanent collection of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Elected a Royal Academician in 2013 and awarded a CBE in 2019, that same year his installation The British Library was acquired by
@tate , London. In 2021, Shonibare received the
@whitechapelgallery Art Icon Award and later that year, he opened a major retrospective at the
@museumdermodernesalzburg .
In 2022, Shonibare launched
@gasfoundation , a non-profit founded and developed by the artist. The Foundation is dedicated to facilitating cultural exchange through residencies, public programmes and exhibition opportunities for creative practitioners from around the world. The live/work residency spaces are set across sites in Lagos and a rural working farm in Ijebu, Ogun State.
Shonibare’s works are in notable museum collections internationally, including
@tate ,
@vamuseum ,
@smithsonian_africanart ,
@themuseumofmodernart ,
@modernamuseet ,
@mcachicago ,
@lagallerianazionale and
@vandenbroek_foundation .
His first solo exhibition at Mennour is planned for October 2026 at 5 rue du Pont de Lodi, Paris.
![‘Refugee Astronaut in Snow Globe’ (2020) is a thought-provoking sculptural edition by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare. The original idea for this work stemmed from the concept of space as a possible place of refuge for the human race. An omen from an environmentally catastrophic future, Shonibare’s work is a warning of what could happen if we do not act on climate change. The artist explains, “It’s trying to imagine what could happen if we don’t do something about rising water levels and the displacement of people.”The figure is clad in moon boots, a spherical helmet and a spacesuit. The surrounding air in the snow globe seems to be too poisonous to inhale as the astronaut clutches a pair of breathing tubes on their back. This work challenges colonial connotations. As Shonibare remarks, “The refugee astronaut is the reverse of the colonial instinct of the astronaut – someone who is going out to conquer the world. What you have here is a nomadic astronaut just trying to find somewhere that’s still habitable.”The figure's spacesuit and boots are fashioned from Dutch wax batik fabric. A hallmark of Shonibare’s practice, the brightly coloured patterned fabric is a symbol of African identity. The astronaut is a recurring feature in Shonibare’s practice. A life size ‘Refugee Astronaut’ is on show at ‘Safiotra [Hybridities/Hybridités]’ @fondationh_ in Madagascar, while another belongs to @wellcomecollection in London.‘Refugee Astronaut in Snow Globe’ is available to purchase. Contact sales@stephenfriedman.com to find out more.______@yinkashonibarestudioYinka Shonibare, 'Refugee Astronaut in Snow Globe', 2020. Hand-blown borosilicate glass, hand-painted cast resin, tulip wood, distilled water, glycerine, iridescent white glitter, laser-etched stainless steel, silicone. 18.8 x 15 x 15cm. (7 3/8 x 5 7/8 x 5 7/8in). Edition 15 of 30. Copyright Yinka Shonibare. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York.#YinkaShonibare #StephenFriedmanGallery](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6758665618471116346521_0_cf74d24bbf6aa1f807c57c7d1d62a632.jpg?o=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&h=8c0826033118298c784c67799bbd7ac9)
