Creatures of the Mappa Mundi is a series of textile works by Yinka Shonibare CBE, inspired by Hereford Cathedral's treasure, the Mappa Mundi. Displayed next to the Cathedral’s Chained Library, the Hereford Mappa Mundi is the largest medieval world map to survive to the present day. One of its most remarkable features is that it is illustrated with strange people and animals, drawn by artists from the exaggerated descriptions of travellers. Shonibare has been inspired by the map and its alien creatures to create a new series of works for the cathedral.
Creatures of the Mappa Mundi explores what Shonibare refers to as, “Two of the most pressing concerns of our time, environmental protection and immigration. The map reflects our contemporary concerns of fear of the stranger or “other” which often leads to xenophobia. The depictions of extinct creatures of legend are a reminder that we may yet become extinct if we do not take care of our environment.”
Meadow Arts and Hereford Cathedral invited a range of local groups to meet Shonibare at the Cathedral Cloisters, to hear about the project. Groups from the Courtyard Hereford’s Creative Ageing project; Diploma in Art & Design students from Hereford College of Arts; Rose Tinted Rags and the charity, Echo, took part in the project. The aim is to stimulate lots of interesting discussions about the environment and immigration.