Presented in the indoor galleries and open air of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Shonibare’s work here follows pieces on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth and at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. His work, at once vibrant and varied, fits well into these differing spaces.
As well as producing beautiful and dramatic pieces, Shonibare references themes from environmental destruction to the Arab Spring. Stand out works include the playful collage Climate Shit and intricate sculpture Alien Man on Flying Machine.
Shonibare’s first use of taxidermy combines with a definite political slant in his 2012 works Revolution Kids. These include a fox dressed in bright batik fabrics used elsewhere in Shonibare’s work, carrying a replica gun similar to that of Colonel Gaddafi in one hand, and a Blackberry in another.
FABRIC-ATION is on at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield until 1 September.
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