On the World Stage

Yinka Shonibare (YEEN-kuh shoh-nee-BAH-reh) was born in London in 1962. At the young age of 3, he moved to Nigeria. He remained there until college, when he moved back to the United Kingdom to study fine art.

Shonibare’s figures are usually headless, which ensures that they aren’t racially identifiable. He frequently uses colorful textiles, like in his 2008 Boy On Flying Machine, above. Known as Dutch wax fabric, these patterned fabrics are commonly associated with Africa. But they are not traditionally African. They were produced in Europe in the 19th century and sold to African people by Dutch merchants.

In his art, Shonibare touches on themes such as colonialism, globalization, race, cultural identity, and the connected histories of Africa and Europe. How does the artist’s use of textiles and headless figures underscore these ideas?

Yinka Shonibare (YEEN-kuh shoh-nee-BAH-reh) was born in London in 1962. When he was 3, his family moved to Nigeria, where his parents were from. Shonibare lived in West Africa until college. Then he returned to the United Kingdom to study art.

Shonibare features figures in his work, like in his 2008 Boy On Flying Machine, above. He dresses the figures in patterned fabrics called Dutch wax fabrics. These fabrics are linked to Africa. But they aren’t traditionally African. They are made in Europe. In the 19th century, Dutch merchants sold them to African people.

Shonibare’s figures are usually headless. That makes it impossible to tell their race. Think about this choice and Shonibare’s use of fabrics. What might he be expressing about the connected histories of Africa and Europe?

Based in Los Angeles, Njideka Akunyili Crosby (en-JUH-deh-kuh AH-kuh-NIL-lee KRAWZ-bee) was born in Nigeria in 1983. She lived there until the age of 16, when she moved to the United States. She frequently explores this dual cultural identity in her figurative artworks.

For portraits such as her 2016 Super Blue Omo, above, Akunyili Crosby constructs dense collages. She combines painting, drawing, and photo transfer, a technique that allows her to easily integrate photographs into her artworks. She layers images from fashion magazines, photos from family albums, and internet-sourced pictures of Nigerian celebrities and politicians in portraits like this one. How do the images Akunyili Crosby includes represent her dual identity?

Portrait artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby (en-JUH-deh-kuh AH-kuh-NIL-lee KRAWZ-bee) was born in Nigeria in 1983. She lived there until she was 16. Then she moved to the United States. She is currently based in Los Angeles. She explores her Nigerian and American identities in her work.

Akunyili Crosby develops collages to make her portraits. For her 2016 Super Blue Omo, above, she layers painting, drawing, and photographs. She includes images from magazines, her own family photos, and pictures she finds online of Nigerian celebrities and politicians. How do the images show Akunyili Crosby’s identity?

El Anatsui (el ah-naht-SOO-ee) has spent most of his life in Nigeria, though he was born in Ghana in 1944.

In 1999, Anatsui found a bag of metal bottle caps. He began experimenting, flattening the caps and using wire to attach them to one another like a metallic fabric. Since then, the artist has used found materials to make abstract sculptures.

Anatsui’s 2017 Untitled, above, includes thousands of bottle caps, which he sources from local recycling centers. By using discarded materials, he demonstrates that upcycling is a necessity in some parts of West Africa, and, in doing so, he brings attention to global consumer culture.

Shonibare, Akunyili Crosby, and Anatsui have each lived in West Africa—and sometimes beyond—and each has a well-established place in the contemporary art world. But they represent just three perspectives about life in West Africa. Read on to learn about more artists who are exploring West Africa in their work today.

El Anatsui (el ah-naht-SOO-ee) was born in Ghana in 1944. But he’s spent most of his life in Nigeria.

In 1999, he began experimenting with flattening bottle caps. He used wire to attach them to one another. The result looked like a shiny woven fabric. Since then, Anatsui has used found materials to make sculptures.

Anatsui’s 2017 Untitled, above, includes thousands of bottle caps. He collects them from recycling centers. Using old materials to make something new is called upcycling.

Shonibare, Akunyili Crosby, and Anatsui share their own stories and ideas about life in West Africa. Read on to learn about more artists who explore this region in their work today.