London exhibition celebrates 50 years of black creativity
There's also Turner Prize-winning artists Steve McQueen and Lubaina Himid; the Scottish-born, Trinidad-based painter Peter Doig; and artist Yinka Shonibare, whose Revolution Kid (Calf) – a fibreglass human mannequin dressed in vibrantly coloured African fabrics but with the head of a cow, and holding golden guns and smartphones – draws attention to the postcolonial relationship between Africa and Europe and the economic disparity between the two, while also appealing to youth via the tools of emancipation, violence and globalisation. It still looks as striking and poignant today as when it first showed at Art Basel in 2012.
The exhibition has been designed by London-based, Nigerian-born Yinka Ilori, who references the vibrant, dynamic colours and patterns of his African roots. The gallery rooms are separated into five themes: Motherland, Masquerade, Dream to Change the World, Imaginary Landscapes and Mothership. There's also a "temple to learning" conceived by Nigerian-American artist Victor Ekpuk, which contains the ambitious Afrofuturist mural Shrine to Wisdom. A selection of titles on black history and culture are also available for visitors to indulge.
- Young painters keep Thangka art alive in Sichuan
- Elegance of swans seen in photography show
- Tsinghua exhibition celebrates first-generation Chinese architects trained in US
- Folk music festival brings together singers, musicians from 21 ethnic groups
- UK photographer's works on China delight followers