VENUS DE MILO (AFTER ALEXANDROS) 2016

This Venus de Milo after Alexandros, by Yinka Shonibare, is striking. I can imagine Shonibare approaching this sculpture with a sense of playful defiance, ready to challenge our assumptions about beauty, history, and culture. The orange fabric with its lively patterns drapes and clings to the classical form, disrupting our expectations of the cool, white marble we associate with ancient statues. Think about Shonibare, in the studio, carefully selecting the fabric, draping it, fixing it. The texture of the fabric, the folds and creases, all contribute to the dialogue between cultures, between tradition and modernity. And the globe where you might expect a head! It's a bold statement. It makes you think about global perspectives, and challenges of identity. Shonibare and other artists like him are always speaking to each other across time and space, riffing off ideas, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways. It is this conversation that keeps art alive, vibrant, and ever-relevant.