The North Carolina Art Museum, located in Raleigh, has a park full of wonderful works of art. Yinka Shonibare’s Wind Sculpture II is one of them.
Shonibare is a London-born British-Nigerian artist whose work has been exhibited all over the world. He has a disability that has left him partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound, but that hasn’t stopped him from creating beautiful works of art. Unable physically to carry out the making of the art, he directs a team of assistants who help him bring his creations into being.
Though he uses a variety of materials to create his art, one of his favorites is Dutch wax cloth, a printed cotton material popular throughout Africa. Shonibare uses the material extensively. In the case of Wind Sculpture II, the material was formed and then covered with a heavy coating of clear fiberglass to keep it’s shape. The result is a work of art that looks as if it’s being blown across the field by the wind.
It’s one of my favorite pieces from the Park. I love the colors and the playful feel of it being caught by the wind. It’s a beautiful work of art and one that makes me smile when I see it.
Mostly True 