WHAT? Yinka Shonibare CBE: Suspended States 

WHERE? Serpentine South, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA

WHEN? Now until 1st September. Free to view 

WHY GO?  For a rich fabric of artwork.  What a meditative experience this exhibition is, staged in the peaceful Serpentine gallery in the park.  This is Shonibare’s first major London show in over 20 years though his distinctive works have been popping up all over recently.

Fabrics and their complex relationships between Africa and Europe are at the heart of this contemplative show with colourful artworks in his signature Dutch wax prints, referred to as ‘African prints’ when mass produced throughout colonial history.

They form the basis of almost everything, from books bound in fabrics, statues depicting commanding figures like Churchill and Kitchener, even glorious quilted pictures, all referencing the impact of colonisation socially, politically and on the environment.

And there’s a final surprise, a room full of miniature exquisitely lit buildings called Sanctuary City, dedicated to places that have offered sanctuary to persecuted people.  The latter could not be more timely as homelessness is such a national crisis right now. 

Always an artist who takes social responsibility seriously through the various charitable community projects he directs, Shonibare's overall compelling message is to transform tragedy into beauty, ” I wish the world could be as beautiful as art”, he proclaims. 

How right he is!

IN THE KNOW  The exhibition’s title, Suspended States embodies the ethos of Shonibare’s works, connecting colonial histories with past and present.  The newest colourful series of African Bird Magic quilts references how industrialisation and climate change can affect endangered African birds.