CLEMENTIA 2018

This sculpture, Clementia, by Yinka Shonibare, stands before us, a vibrant question mark in the space. The headless figure, draped in Dutch wax print fabric, immediately grabs your attention. Those colors aren’t just pretty; they’re loud, alive! Look at how the fabric folds and drapes. It's almost as if Shonibare is painting with cloth, building up layers of meaning and texture. The globe where a head should be suggests a world carried, or maybe even a world unhinged. The wax print itself is key; it's a symbol of cultural exchange, trade, and identity. The fabric isn't traditionally African, but rather mass-produced in Europe for the African market. There’s a conversation here around authenticity, globalization, and power. It reminds me of the work of someone like David Hammons, in the way he finds poetry in found objects, making us rethink what we see and what we think we know. Art isn’t about answers, but about holding these complicated questions in the light, turning them over, and seeing what glints.