Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary

The Rose Art Museum is honored to premiere the United States debut of Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary, a solo presentation of the British-Nigerian artist’s monumental 2024 installation titled Sanctuary City.

The installation consists of 18 scaled-down replicas of historical and contemporary buildings that have been, or are still, considered places of refuge for persecuted and vulnerable groups and individuals. It highlights the basic human need for safety and shelter over centuries of human history, and the pressing need to address this issue in the current moment. The artist describes shelter as “one of the most pressing political concerns right now.”

The replicated buildings are displayed within a dark gallery, with light emanating from within each structure, with Shonibare’s signature patterned Dutch fabric decorating the interior.  The entire gallery is thus transformed into an unlit space with sanctuary havens appearing like beacons of light and hope.

The work presents structures from across time and territory. From ancient Greek temples to the Buddhist temples of Edo Japan, to medieval European churches and modern schools and shelters. Each structure and its history are documented in detail in extended labels. Human beings from all walks of life found refuge in these historical buildings: slaves, refugees, persecuted religious sects, unhoused families and individuals, victims of sex trafficking, domestic violence survivors, and many others.

Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary is organized by Dr. Gannit Ankori, Henry and Lois Foster Director and Chief Curator, Rose Art Museum, and Professor of Fine Arts and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University.

This exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Further Forward Foundation.