Solo Exhibition at James Cohan Gallery, New York, New York, USA
4 December 2020 – 23 January 2021
“The wild is far from unlimited. It is finite. It needs protecting.” - David Attenborough
Earth Kids is Yinka Shonibare CBE’s seventh solo exhibition at James Cohan Gallery. On view are a series of new sculptures by Shonibare, which reflect on the connection between the history of colonial domination and humankind’s domination of the natural world and the exploitation of its limited resources.
The quartet of child-scaled sculptures champions the next generation of environmentalists fighting for climate justice—including young activists, such as Greta Thunberg—who have thrown a spotlight on the failings of previous generations of policymakers. These works, Shonibare states, are a call to action to protect the planet for our children.
Each of the four sculptures in Earth Kids represents an elemental force: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. These classical elements were believed by the Ancient Greeks to illustrate the complexity of the natural world. The artist has been making work about the elements and climate change since 2008 when he created a series called Globe Children in which children were precariously balanced on a large heat-map globe.
Fire Kid (Girl), 2020, Fibreglass mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, globe, brass, steel baseplate, painted fibreglass, wire, and silk, 142 × 101 × 95cm. © Yinka Shonibare CBE. All Rights Reserved, DACS / Artimage. Photographer: Stephen White & Co.