Yinka Shonibare exhibitions

Today's post comes from Abi...

Remember the giant ship in a bottle that sat on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square a while back (and now on permanent display at Greenwich Maritime Museum? That was by Yinka Shonibare, one of my favourite artists, and now he's got not one but two exhibitions on this month.

His work makes heavy use of the most fabulous textiles and he cleverly riffs on race and class drawing on themes of identity, multiculturalism, globalism and revolution. Phew. But thankfully his work demonstrates a lightness of touch and easy ability to engage thanks to his playful approach.

At Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) a huge exhibition of his work has just opened. Called FABRIC-ATION it features over 30 new and established works covering sculpture, film, painting and photography; outdoors in the park are the giant Wind Sculptures painted with Shonibare’s signature batik-inspired surface pattern; there are some freaky animal-human hybrids: Revolution Kids,waving gold Gaddafi guns about and toting Blackberrys and, like his earlier works, there are a few aliens flying space ships; all clad in the same gorgeous, bright batik prints.

Shonibare says his use of the textiles are “...signifiers of ‘African-ness’ insofar as when people first view the fabric they think of Africa”. This is all the more ironic when noted that this type of fabric was first mass-produced in Holland, based on Indonesian batik, and sold into West Africa in the 19th century; yet again Shonibare questions notions of 'authenticity'.

There's also a show opening in London on the 16th March: POP! At the Stephen Friedman Gallery. Featuring new work that explores the corruption, excess and debauchery of the banking industry this promises to be a show that hits hard – the central display is a giant tableau based on Da Vinci's The Last Supper... I can't wait.

There's really so much going on in his work it's difficult to keep up; but persevere – he's saying a lot about the way we live today and the clues are there in his fun, disquieting and provocative work.

In the meantime I might invest in a small Shonibare artwork of my own. These cushions,  the top one featuring one of his batik aliens, is on sale at YSP for a snip at £23.

Penguins!

I've written about the excellent shop Howkapow before and Kat and Roger, who run it (online and at its Bristol real-life version) have great taste and a fondness for colour and quirk that I love.

This print, Pinguinos, by the illustrator Abi Pickett, also based in Bristol, is another of Howkapow's great finds. Isn't it brilliant? It is signed and editioned and measures 28cm x 35cm and costs £45. (The shop also sells a rather marvellous penguin necklace, too.)

Abi is an illustrator, based in Bristol and describes her work as exhibiting her "own brand of humour, a love of pattern and an unhealthy obsession with her dog".

'Own brand', for sure. Prints on her own website include drawings called 'Koala Farts' and 'Smell Foot'.

But, being in charge of a four-legged pal, I like this...

Lovely new shop: A Rum Fellow

A Rum Fellow is a new online shop with a bricks and mortar HQ in east London and an unusual angle on interiors style – sort of the Pitt Rivers Museum, as if curated by Elle Decoration.

The couple behind the store are Caroline Lindsell and Dylan O’Shea whose backgrounds are in fashion design and charity work, interests they aim to combine in the stuff they sell. Along with the context of the shop's name, which they hope reflects "the idea of the quintessential British explorer of past glory who returns from global adventures with a rich bounty of unusual items". Have a look...

I mentioned a pair of their beautiful chairs last week, and above is another: folding chair reupholstered in bright Bolivian fabric, £85. They sell old and new stuff, and there are prices for all shopping moods. Double handle vase, £32, Old decanters, £28 (small) and £35.

But what I have fallen for are some of the prints and textiles they have found. Like these, below, by Eduardo Barba, who applies his architectural training to produce graphic pieces that combine maths and simple geometric shapes.

Geometric Issue, Eduardo Barba, A2 size, £28

Hemispherical Neighbourhood, Eduardo Barba, £28

They have a few lovely French composition decorative posters too; from 1960s French classrooms, these were used to help children to use colour more imaginatively in their artwork, £24 each.

And these cushions are made in Peru and each of the bright designs can take up to a month to make. This one is the Tetrus Jungle Bolster cushion and costs £95. Prices go up from there for the textiles range, but you should have a window shop because they are beautiful. Read more about the provenance of these fabrics on the Rum Fellow blog and see more textile designs here.

These unusual Katsina dolls are a luxury purchase too, at £115 a-piece. But each doll represents a Katsinam, the spirit messengers of the universe according to Hopi American Indian beliefs. Each doll is unique, carved by hand from the root of a cottonwood tree and hand painted. The dolls measure 14.5cm and have a hanging loop at the back.