THE AMERICAN LIBRARY COLLECTION (ARTISTS) 2017

Yinka Shonibare’s "The American Library Collection (Artists)" presents us with a bookcase filled with books covered in vibrant Dutch wax fabric. Though visually striking, these textiles aren't of Dutch origin, nor are they truly African. The British introduced mass-produced, Indonesian batik to West Africa, which was later adopted and transformed into a symbol of African identity. Shonibare employs these fabrics to explore themes of colonialism, cultural appropriation, and authenticity. The books, though materially fake, represent knowledge and power. By covering them in this complex fabric, Shonibare questions the narratives we inherit and the ways in which cultural identities are constructed and consumed. Consider the labor involved in producing both the fabric and the books, and how these processes are embedded with social and political meaning. Shonibare invites us to consider how the act of making shapes our understanding of culture and history.