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Yinka Shonibare
Feeling Free Like a Bird, 2023

Fibreglass sculpture, hand-painted with Dutch wax pattern, Fibreglass mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, globe, brass, steel, faux birds, wood, leather, and metal wires
Work: 280 x 251 x 70 cm (110.2 x 98.8 x 27.6 in.)
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Video

Yinka Shonibare’s major sculpture 'Feeling Free Like a Bird' derives from an eighteenth-century portrait of an aristocratic horsewoman by fellow Royal Academician George Stubbs.

Layering historical references and cultural signifiers, this work combines Shonibare’s signature Dutch wax textiles with endangered African bird species and an astrological globe inscribed with the names of African political activists.

Monumental sculpture has long been central to Shonibare’s practice. Major public commissions include the Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, London (2010), and the forthcoming Wind Sculpture for the Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial (2027).

Founded by the artist in Lagos in 2019, the Guest Artists Space (GAS) Foundation is presenting a multimedia installation within the central exhibition of the 2026 Venice Biennale.

Current/forthcoming exhibitions: 'Patterns of Power', The Arc, Winchester (until 3 June 2026); 'Yinka Shonibare: Legion of Honor 100', Legion of Honor, San Francisco (until 26 July 2026); 'Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary', Rose Art Museum, Waltham, MA (until 3 January 2027)

Other Artworks

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    Yinka Shonibare
    Archive of Lost Memories III, 2025
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    The African Library, 2018
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    Hybrid Mask (Fang) II, 2022
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    Yinka Shonibare
    African Bird Magic (Mauritius Kestrels with Head of an Oba), 2024