On Focus: Yinka Shonibare's Girl Ballerina
Yinka Shonibare is a Nigerian-English contemporary artist born in 1962, and studied in London to receive a Masters degree in Fine Arts. Shonibare grew up the majority of his life in Lagos, Nigeria, but was born and later returned for higher education to London. He has been known for his political art works and installations, which tackle the issues of racism, socioeconomic class distinctions, cultural identity, effects of colonization, and more, while using certain aspects of globalization to insure his message. Shonibare uses his art as an approach to dealing with the harsh and long relationship between Europe and Africa, and often mimics or mocks Western art and art history with an African touch.
Examples of these mocks of Western art history include versions of famous artists’ works including Fragonard, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Durer, David, Ancient Greek sculptors, and more. Shonibare is also known to have a studio and works with other craftsman to create his art, while also creating many prep sketched and researching current political articles to inspire his future pieces.
While most notably known for his mixed-media sculptural installations, Shonibare has been known to experiment with painting, film and photography to incorporate in his works. Shonibare has grown to international fame, with several permanent exhibitions located in Washington DC, London, Nigeria, NYC, California, Amsterdame, Rome, Milan, Ottawa, RISD Museum, and more.
“Girl Ballerina”
This piece was last seen in the “Like Life: Sculpture, Color, And The Body (1300–Now)” exhibit at the Met Breuer, NYC. The sculpture, “Girl Ballerina”, was created in 2007 with its materials being Dutch wax printed cotton, mannequin, and a gun. Shonibare is known for using Dutch Wax Fabric/African Wax Prints as a political proponent to his pieces. This type of fabric was introduced to West Africa by the French through their trading points around the 19th century, and was quickly used as a trading currency for Dutch Europeans to exploit Africans for their valuable resources. As time went on, the fabrics were assimilated more into local culture, with African variables and cultural patterns being implemented into the designs, and the fabrics themselves becoming a cultural and social icon for these communities. As we can see by studying “Girl Ballerina”, Shonibare’s uses bright and colourful fabrics contrasting the light brown skin tone. The mannequin is headless, which is a recurring theme in Shonibare’s work. The head missing could be interpreted in two ways: symbolizing the “chopping the head off” of African sovereignty and culture by the globalization of Western culture, or inferring the viewer to put themselves in place of the mannequin. The figure is rendered in a demure and objectified pose while hiding a gun behind her. This pose of the hidden gun can refer to either the forced militarization in West Africa by Europeans, or the introduction of firearms and other goods by globalization.
Nevertheless, Shonibare is clearly wanting to make a statement by this piece, whether it being political or social, the introduction of African culture to a European character speaks the effects of post-colonialism through trade.
“Little Dancer of Fourteen Years”
The piece I am comparing to “Girl Ballerina” is “Little Dancer of Fourteen Years” by Degas created in 1879-1881 from Textile, Wood, Silk, Wax, Bronze, Linen, Satin, Muslin, and Human Hair. Shonibare obviously used Degas’ piece as inspiration, as he does frequently in his art to evoke a social commentary. Degas is a French Impressionist painter during the 19th century, most notably known for working with oil on canvas to create portraits of ballerinas in the Paris Opera. Degas’ sculpture evokes a young Paris ballerina, smaller than life size, which was mass produced and intended to look realistic. Her face is contorted, and has been critiques to symbolize a young girl doing something she doesn’t want too, in terms of forced dancing for entertainment. Both pieces are the exact height, width, pose and share a similar construction in their garments. With Shonibare’s piece being compared closely to Degas’, each artist wanted to represent a lower class of society, with Degas’ rendering being more for aesthetic and artistic interpretation, Shonibare took this subject a bit further, and while basing off of Degas’s previous work, decided to implement different mediums that have a stronger connotation in society. Shonibare shows the transcontinental connection between Degas’ french work and his African inspired work, emphasizing the role each culture has to each other, with the effect and validity of this cultural connection being up to the viewer.
Yinka Shonibare is a Nigerian-English contemporary artist born in 1962, and studied in London to receive a Masters degree in Fine Arts. Shonibare grew up the majority of his life in Lagos, Nigeria, but was born and later returned for higher education to London. He has been known for his political art works and installations, which tackle the issues of racism, socioeconomic class distinctions, cultural identity, effects of colonization, and more, while using certain aspects of globalization to insure his message. Shonibare uses his art as an approach to dealing with the harsh and long relationship between Europe and Africa, and often mimics or mocks Western art and art history with an African touch.
Examples of these mocks of Western art history include versions of famous artists’ works including Fragonard, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Durer, David, Ancient Greek sculptors, and more. Shonibare is also known to have a studio and works with other craftsman to create his art, while also creating many prep sketched and researching current political articles to inspire his future pieces.
While most notably known for his mixed-media sculptural installations, Shonibare has been known to experiment with painting, film and photography to incorporate in his works. Shonibare has grown to international fame, with several permanent exhibitions located in Washington DC, London, Nigeria, NYC, California, Amsterdame, Rome, Milan, Ottawa, RISD Museum, and more.
“Girl Ballerina”
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| Girl Ballerina Yinka Shonibare c.2007 Dutch wax printed cotton, mannequin, and a gun |
This piece was last seen in the “Like Life: Sculpture, Color, And The Body (1300–Now)” exhibit at the Met Breuer, NYC. The sculpture, “Girl Ballerina”, was created in 2007 with its materials being Dutch wax printed cotton, mannequin, and a gun. Shonibare is known for using Dutch Wax Fabric/African Wax Prints as a political proponent to his pieces. This type of fabric was introduced to West Africa by the French through their trading points around the 19th century, and was quickly used as a trading currency for Dutch Europeans to exploit Africans for their valuable resources. As time went on, the fabrics were assimilated more into local culture, with African variables and cultural patterns being implemented into the designs, and the fabrics themselves becoming a cultural and social icon for these communities. As we can see by studying “Girl Ballerina”, Shonibare’s uses bright and colourful fabrics contrasting the light brown skin tone. The mannequin is headless, which is a recurring theme in Shonibare’s work. The head missing could be interpreted in two ways: symbolizing the “chopping the head off” of African sovereignty and culture by the globalization of Western culture, or inferring the viewer to put themselves in place of the mannequin. The figure is rendered in a demure and objectified pose while hiding a gun behind her. This pose of the hidden gun can refer to either the forced militarization in West Africa by Europeans, or the introduction of firearms and other goods by globalization.
Nevertheless, Shonibare is clearly wanting to make a statement by this piece, whether it being political or social, the introduction of African culture to a European character speaks the effects of post-colonialism through trade.
“Little Dancer of Fourteen Years”
The piece I am comparing to “Girl Ballerina” is “Little Dancer of Fourteen Years” by Degas created in 1879-1881 from Textile, Wood, Silk, Wax, Bronze, Linen, Satin, Muslin, and Human Hair. Shonibare obviously used Degas’ piece as inspiration, as he does frequently in his art to evoke a social commentary. Degas is a French Impressionist painter during the 19th century, most notably known for working with oil on canvas to create portraits of ballerinas in the Paris Opera. Degas’ sculpture evokes a young Paris ballerina, smaller than life size, which was mass produced and intended to look realistic. Her face is contorted, and has been critiques to symbolize a young girl doing something she doesn’t want too, in terms of forced dancing for entertainment. Both pieces are the exact height, width, pose and share a similar construction in their garments. With Shonibare’s piece being compared closely to Degas’, each artist wanted to represent a lower class of society, with Degas’ rendering being more for aesthetic and artistic interpretation, Shonibare took this subject a bit further, and while basing off of Degas’s previous work, decided to implement different mediums that have a stronger connotation in society. Shonibare shows the transcontinental connection between Degas’ french work and his African inspired work, emphasizing the role each culture has to each other, with the effect and validity of this cultural connection being up to the viewer.
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| Ballerina Girl and Little Dancer of Fourteen Years |
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