Yinka Shonibare’s First Major Survey in Africa Opens in Madagascar

The British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare was given carte blanche for his first major solo exhibition on the African continent at Fondation H.

‘Safiotra [Hybridities]’ at Fondation H in Antananarivo, Madagascar, includes several of Shonibare’s sculptures – such as ‘Alien Woman on Flying Machine’ (2011) and ‘Refugee Astronaut X’ (2024) – as well as a selection of his lesser-known quilt works. The centrepiece of the exhibition is ‘The African Library’ (2018), a monumental installation comprising around 6,000 books wrapped in Shonibare’s signature Dutch wax fabrics. The work celebrates key figures in postcolonial Africa, including Nelson Mandela and Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah.