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  • Yinka Shonibare CBE
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Yinka

Yinka Shonibare, The British Library, 2014 © Yinka Shonibare CBE

Yinka Shonibare CBE

Learn about the impact of immigration on British culture in The British Library

Yinka Shonibare CBE was born, studied and lives in London, but grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2019 and has added the title to his professional name. His dual identity as British-Nigerian has been the starting point for much of his work. This is particularly true for The British Library, which contains more than 6,000 books.

Printed in gold on the spines of 2,700 of the books are the names of first or second-generation immigrants to Britain. Whether celebrated or lesser known, they have all made significant contributions to British culture and history. There are also books with the names of those who have opposed immigration. Other books are unmarked, suggesting that the story of immigration in Britain is still being written.

The books are bound in African wax print fabric, the artist’s signature material. The history of this fabric reveals a complex relationship between colonialism, cultural appropriation and national identity. It was developed in the nineteenth century in the Netherlands as a mass-produced imitation of the batik dyeing process used in Indonesia, a Dutch colony at the time. The cheaper, machine-made textiles were poorly received in Indonesia. In West and Central Africa, however, they were quickly adopted and absorbed into local traditions.

An important part of the installation is a website, which can be accessed from the tablets. It contains recent materials selected by the artist to present different viewpoints relating to immigration. You are invited to submit your own story, and a selection of visitors’ responses will be available to view on the website.

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Tate Modern
Natalie Bell Building Level 2 West

Getting Here

1 February – 24 April 2022

Free

Farah Al Qasimi, Living Room Vape  2016

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

1/8
artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE

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Farah Al Qasimi, Noora’s Room  2020

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

2/8
artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE

More on this artwork

Farah Al Qasimi, S Folding Blanket  2016

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

3/8
artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE

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Farah Al Qasimi, Bedroom (Baba)  2018

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

4/8
artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE

More on this artwork

Farah Al Qasimi, Blanket Shop  2019

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

5/8
artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE

More on this artwork

Farah Al Qasimi, Woman in Leopard Print  2019

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

6/8
artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE

More on this artwork

Sorry, no image available

Farah Al Qasimi, Um Al Naar (Mother of Fire)  2019

Um Al Naar (Mother of Fire in English) is Farah Al Qasimi’s first feature-length film. Set in the United Arab Emirates and inspired by the genre of horror-comedy, the film playfully engages with colonial legacies and gendered expressions of identity in the Emirates, where the artist grew up. Lasting just over forty minutes, Um Al Naar is delivered as an episode of a fictional reality TV show starring a jinn (a spirit able to possess humans in the mythology of the Arab world) called Um Al Naar. Alongside an interview with the jinn, the film combines footage shot in the Emirates, found videos of exorcisms and first-hand accounts of people’s encounters with jinns.

7/8
artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE

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Farah Al Qasimi, After Dinner  2018

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

8/8
artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE

More on this artwork

Art in this room

P82690: Living Room Vape
Farah Al Qasimi Living Room Vape 2016
P82692: Noora’s Room
Farah Al Qasimi Noora’s Room 2020
P82693: S Folding Blanket
Farah Al Qasimi S Folding Blanket 2016
P82694: Bedroom (Baba)
Farah Al Qasimi Bedroom (Baba) 2018
P82695: Blanket Shop
Farah Al Qasimi Blanket Shop 2019
P82696: Woman in Leopard Print
Farah Al Qasimi Woman in Leopard Print 2019

Sorry, no image available

Farah Al Qasimi Um Al Naar (Mother of Fire) 2019
P82691: After Dinner
Farah Al Qasimi After Dinner 2018
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