Yinka Shonibare

Yinka Shonibare, MBE, was born in London, England, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Today, he is one of the best-known artists dealing directly with themes of postcolonialism in his work. His sculpture Nelson's Ship in a Bottle, which was originally installed in London's Trafalgar Square in 2010, and now resides in the city's National Maritime Museum, is one of the most photographed artworks to have appeared in London's public spaces. It is composed of a fifteen-foot-long bottle inside of which sits a model of Admiral Horatio Nelson's ship HMS Victory. Nelson was an officer in the British Royal Navy from 1771-1805, during which time he was instrumental in securing a number of victories, such as at the Battle of Trafalgar, and established his place as one of the nation's greatest military heroes, before being fatally wounded while aboard the Victory. Shonibare's model of the ship is detailed and precise, except that his thirty-seven sails are made of richly patterned batik textiles.