Looking & Learning Transformation
Yinka Shonibare, MBE, Scramble for Africa, 2003. Fourteen life-size fiberglass mannequins, fourteen chairs, table, Dutch wax printed cotton;
overall: 53 x 195 x 112" (132 x 488 x 280 cm). Photo: Stephen White. Copyright the artist. Courtesy James Cohan Gallery, New York/Shanghai.
Transformation is a specific kind of change.
The adages, “Change is a part of life,” and
“Change is constant,” speak to the everyday
nature of change. All of us undergo changes
in our appearance, attitudes, and beliefs.
Transformation is a specific kind of change.
It is a change that is made with intention and,
often, it is a change from which we learn and
grow. Our experiences, environments, and
cultures have a great impact on who we are,
but ultimately, we control who we become.
Artists sometimes explore the process and
product of transformation in their work.
These artworks can help us understand the
transformations that take place in own our
lives and in the complex and ever-evolving
world around us. Yinka Shonibare imagines
the outcomes and interprets the conse-
quences of cultural collisions and colonization.
