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Birdcage Kid (Boy)

2023
(British Nigerian, b. 1962)
Fiberglass, cotton, globe, brass, steel, replica birds (domestic feathers), wood, rope, metal
135.5 x 102 x 88.5 cm (53 3/8 x 40 3/16 x 34 13/16 in.)
Partial purchase from the J.H. Wade Trust Fund and partial gift of Mark Dinner in honor of Dr. Dudley S. Dinner 2023.158
© Yinka Shonibare CBE
Location: 108A Sub-Saharan
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

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Did You Know?

Symbolic of hope and freedom, the birds and birdcage imagery in this piece can be connected to Maya Angelou’s 1969 book I know why the caged bird sings. Angelou briefly lived in Cleveland in the 1950s.

Description

Stepping forward, a boy bends his body with the effort of carrying birdcages. The visual signature of Shonibare’s artistic practice, his Victorian era–style suit (c. 1820–1914), is tailored from boldly printed “African” or “Dutch” wax fabric. Indonesian in origin, this European-made fabric is now synonymous with West African dress. The artist uses it to consider cultural heritage and colonialism, and the denial of civil liberties experienced by members of the African diaspora. This includes mass incarceration, potently symbolized by the birds who fly from their cages. Here, the artist's concerns are intertwined with environmental conservation; each faux bird represents a critically endangered species.
Birdcage Kid (Boy)

Birdcage Kid (Boy)

2023

Yinka Shonibare CBE RA

(British Nigerian, b. 1962)

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