Yinka Shonibare MBE  (British, 1962) 

Yinka Shonibare (British, b.1962), better known as Yinka Shonibare, MBE, is an artist who was born in London but lived in Nigeria from the age of three until he was 16, at which age he relocated to London to attend school. When Shonibare was 18, he fell ill with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord causing long-term disability. Shonibare attended Byam Shaw College of Art to study Fine Arts.

It was in 1989 that he had his first solo exhibition at the Byam Shaw Gallery in London. He then continued to study goldsmiths at the University of London, earning his Master of Fine Arts in 1991. Shonibare took a position as an arts development officer with SHAPE, an organization helping disabled individuals access the arts. In 2008, the James Cohan Gallery showed his work. Shonibare found himself showing his work at the Brooklyn Museum in New York during the year 2009. His piece titled Mother and Father Worked Hard So I Can Play was a site-specific installation at the museum. At the same time, he prepared a site-specific installation of Party Time Re-Imagine America: A Centennial Commission for the Newark Museum in New Jersey.

Using a variety of media options including painting, photography, installation art, and sculpture, Shonibare reflects issues involving class and race. He does this with the help of a team of individuals who follow his direction in creating the actual piece, as he is physically unable to do so. A favorite media used for his work is bright colored fabrics using African style. This particular trend appeared in his work in the 1990s. Shonibare often recreates well-known paintings and stories in his photography. In 2004, he was nominated for the Turner Prize for his work Double Dutch, which was exhibited at the Museum Mojmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, and also for a solo exhibition held at the Stephen Friedman Gallery in London. Although he did not receive the award, he was the most popular artist with the general public and received 64% of their votes in a poll.