Yinka Shonibare, The British Library, 2014 © 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.
Farah Al Qasimi, Living Room Vape 2016
The subjects in Living Room Vape are somewhat camouflaged. One sits with their head in a cloud of vapour, another stands by the edge of the frame turned away from the camera. Exactly whose living room we are in is unclear. Al Qasimi’s work seems to resist the confines of any one style or place. Richly detailed Persian textiles adorn the space, alongside porcelain vases and what appears to be a European landscape painting. Here, baroque extravagance meets photo-editorial glamour. But to Al Qasimi, the setting represents years of transcultural exchanges that have been appropriated into Gulf standards of taste.
Gallery label, September 2024
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artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE
Farah Al Qasimi, Um Al Naar (Mother of Fire) 2019
Set in the United Arab Emirates and inspired by the film genre of horror-comedy, Um Al Naar (Mother of Fire), playfully engages with colonial legacies and gendered expressions of identity. The work is presented as an episode of a fictional reality TV show starring a jinn (a spirit from Islamic religious culture, originating in pre-Islamic traditions) called Um Al Naar. She offers a critical perspective on colonial legacies and gender divisions in the Persian Gulf, blending popular spiritual beliefs with personal reflections. The artist has said that the jinn embodies ‘hysteria, curiosity, spirituality – a desire to be expressive and untethered.’
Gallery label, September 2024
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artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE
Farah Al Qasimi, S Folding Blanket 2016
In Blanket Shop, a shop owner in New York City displays a selection of bright, floral blankets. Blanket Shop is part of a series titled Back and Forth Disco that captures details of local communities and small businesses. Connecting with other works such as S Folding Blanket, the print references the material translations bound up with the movement of peoples. Fabrics, materials and textures obscure the location of the image. Al Qasimi isolates and highlights the beauty of seemingly inconspicuous moments amidst the visual noise of the city. She creates feelings of in-betweenness and disorientation, as geographic references and the boundaries between public and private are intentionally blurred.
Gallery label, September 2024
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artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE
Farah Al Qasimi, After Dinner 2018
Gallery label, April 2025
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artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE
Farah Al Qasimi, Bedroom (Baba) 2018
Gallery label, April 2025
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artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE
Farah Al Qasimi, Blanket Shop 2019
S Folding Blanket connects with other works such as Blanket Shop, the print references the material translations bound up with the movement of peoples. Al Qasimi isolates and highlights the beauty of seemingly inconspicuous moments amidst the visual noise of the city. She creates feelings of in-betweenness and disorientation, as geographic references and the boundaries between public and private are intentionally blurred.
Gallery label, September 2024
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artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE
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.
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artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE
Farah Al Qasimi, Noora’s Room 2020
Gallery label, April 2025
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artworks in Yinka Shonibare CBE
Art in this room
Farah Al Qasimi
Living Room Vape
2016
Farah Al Qasimi
Um Al Naar (Mother of Fire)
2019
Farah Al Qasimi
S Folding Blanket
2016
Farah Al Qasimi
After Dinner
2018
Farah Al Qasimi
Bedroom (Baba)
2018
Farah Al Qasimi
Blanket Shop
2019
Farah Al Qasimi
Woman in Leopard Print
2019
Farah Al Qasimi
Noora’s Room
2020