RED LANTERN KID 2018

Curator: Today we're looking at "RED LANTERN KID," a mixed-media sculpture created by Yinka Shonibare in 2018. Editor: The figure is striking, I have to say. Immediately, the bold use of fabric and the almost doll-like quality gives it a rather disquieting feeling. There is something playful and very dark simultaneously. Curator: Indeed. Shonibare, of course, is known for his use of Dutch wax fabric, a textile with Indonesian origins mass-produced by the British and traded in West Africa. The very material speaks volumes about cultural hybridity and postcolonial legacy. Here he uses it to dress this…child? Figure? Editor: More like a mannequin. I'm wondering about the labor involved in crafting those complex garments. Consider the specific details – the miniature boots, the tailoring, the way the fabric drapes. It speaks of dedicated workmanship and careful material sourcing. Curator: Precisely, Shonibare often employs skilled artisans to bring his vision to life, which raises questions about authorship and the commodification of artistic labor. This work engages with questions of identity within a globalized art world. It’s shown in galleries, circulated as a commodity... what social and political contexts give rise to the possibility of this sort of character today? Editor: Absolutely. Then there's the head. A globe? How does that materiality – the orb representing the entire world – affect the understanding of childhood or perhaps of global citizenship? The lantern, also, seems to signal enlightenment, or knowledge, perhaps ironically, when paired with this childlike figure. Curator: Yes! The lantern is an age-old symbol, right? Diogenes searching for truth, for instance. Placed in the hands of a “kid,” however, the implications shift toward the next generation inheriting the earth’s burdens, but maybe also empowered with knowledge to chart a better path forward. Editor: And it really has that techno, space-age feel. All the materials— the fabrics, the globe, the manufactured lantern —are loaded, right? They're cheap consumer items. Curator: I see it as an embodiment of complex narratives. It is a question about history and how those historical narratives continue to echo in contemporary existence, and our imagination about the future. Editor: Agreed. The layered materiality definitely points toward complex production chains. The tension between the hand-crafted elements and mass-produced goods is palpable, offering a commentary on labor, value, and cultural exchange in our globalized world. Curator: Seeing how his sculptures become such an interesting intersection of the local and global, the past and the present always challenges how we view identity formation. Editor: And from the perspective of materials and labor, there’s an added layer, offering rich ground for considering economic systems and the often-invisible makers behind our art.