Yinka Shonibare, tapestry collaboration highlighted in London
Published on 08/25/2026 at 13:59 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Yinka Shonibare appears prominently in the City of London’s announcement for the exhibition Beyond Bayeux: Tapestry Now at Guildhall Art Gallery. As the City of London Corporation’s press release dated August 11, 2026 sets out, Dovecot Studios has interpreted his work Modern Spiritual (Fang Ngil, Kumbaduba) for the major tapestry show opening October 23, 2026. City of London press release
The tapestry collaboration in London
The Guildhall Art Gallery’s exhibition Beyond Bayeux: Tapestry Now will present over 20 contemporary tapestries woven by Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, including a collaboration with Yinka Shonibare. The show runs from October 23, 2026 to March 21, 2027 in London’s Guildhall Art Gallery.
In this context, Dovecot reimagines Shonibare’s engagement with African masks through the tapestry Modern Spiritual (Fang Ngil, Kumbaduba), using colored hanging warps, knots and mixed weaves to translate sculptural forms into textile. The press release frames this as part of a push to show tapestry’s relevance as a 21st century medium.
Current exhibition presence and market context
Parallel to the London tapestry collaboration, Goodman Gallery highlights Shonibare’s works in its summer residency at Galerie Podgorny in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on the Côte d’Azur. The presentation, on view from mid-July to late August 2026, includes the bronze Fabric Bronze V (2025) and the textile piece Nature Works (Diamond Mine, Angola) (2025).
Goodman Gallery situates these works within a wider program across France, which also features outdoor sculptures by Shonibare and William Kentridge at Hôtel Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes until October 18, 2026, indicating sustained demand for his large-scale public and collectible works.
Further news and background on Yinka Shonibare
For more reporting on Yinka Shonibare’s exhibitions, public commissions and market milestones, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers additional context on his evolving practice.
The work core and materials
Shonibare’s long-standing use of so-called Dutch wax fabrics underpins both his sculptural and textile works, including Fabric Bronze V and Nature Works (Diamond Mine, Angola), where patterned surfaces speak to histories of colonial trade and cultural hybridity.
In recent exhibitions such as Earth Pictures at Goodman Gallery Johannesburg, he has extended this material vocabulary to masks and quilts, using it to address endangered species, climate change and the ecological impact of extractive industries, linking environmental themes to postcolonial critique.
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop, Yinka Shonibare’s work is currently visible in Goodman Gallery’s summer residency in Saint-Paul-de-Vence through late August 2026 and in outdoor sculpture form at Hôtel Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes until October 18, 2026.
Key facts on Yinka Shonibare
- Artist: Yinka Shonibare CBE RA
- Medium / Genre: Sculpture and installation (postcolonial, textile-based)
- Born: 1962, London, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in London and Lagos, via Yinka Shonibare Foundation and Guest Artists Space
- Active since: Late 1980s, with wider recognition from the 1990s Young British Artists generation
- Key work groups: Mr. and Mrs. Andrews without their Heads, Wind Sculpture, Sanctuary City, Earth Pictures
- Current/last exhibition: In Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Goodman Gallery residency at Galerie Podgorny, mid-July to late August 2026
- Major collections: Tate (London), Museum of Modern Art (New York), Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (Washington, D.C.), National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
- Awards: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE, 2019), Royal Academician (RA, elected 2013)
- Next date: Outdoor sculpture installation with Goodman Gallery at Hôtel Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, on view until October 18, 2026
Frequently asked questions about Yinka Shonibare
Where is Yinka Shonibare’s work on view in summer 2026?
Shonibare’s works Fabric Bronze V and Nature Works (Diamond Mine, Angola) are part of Goodman Gallery’s residency presentation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence from mid-July to late August 2026, with outdoor sculptures in Antibes on view until October 18, 2026.
What role does Yinka Shonibare play in the exhibition Beyond Bayeux: Tapestry Now?
The Guildhall Art Gallery’s exhibition Beyond Bayeux: Tapestry Now includes a tapestry collaboration with Shonibare titled Modern Spiritual (Fang Ngil, Kumbaduba), woven by Dovecot Studios to interpret traditional African masks within a contemporary textile framework.
How do textiles factor into Yinka Shonibare’s practice?
Textiles are central to Shonibare’s work, from Dutch wax fabric–covered sculptures and installations to quilt and tapestry collaborations, where he uses patterned surfaces to examine colonial histories, global trade routes and ecological questions.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
