Current scholarship on contemporary artist Yinka Shonibare MBE focuses on analyzing his deconstruction of identities through ready-made cultural paradigms epitomized by the use of Dutch wax textiles as an expression of “African-ness.” Through subversive tactics, Shonibare creates disoriented views of power that unveil the masquerade of identity. What is often unstated within this critique, however, is the role of the feminine performance. From the swinging maiden to the ballerina sur les pointes, women and femininity maintain an indelible role in Shonibare’s production. Thus, by evaluating gender with greater precision, I will highlight Shonibare’s dependency on stereotypes of femininity and the female body for cultural intelligibility.

No description available.

Mémoire de recherche-Double culture. / Ce mémoire examine les contacts, les relations établies entre l’art qualifié d’occidental et les arts actuels d’artistes d’origine africaine pour mettre en évidence l’émergence d’une dualité culturelle émanant de deux mondes différents donnant naissance à un genre artistique uniquement hybride. Il sera question de construire une étude se penchant sur le travail des artistes Omar Victor Diop, Kehinde Wiley et Yinka Shonibare. En ayant recours à un médium qui leur est propre, ces trois artistes réalisent un travail hybride associant cette double culture dont ils ont hérité par le phénomène de la mondialisation. Les origines et nationalités différentes auront leur importance dans cette analyse, Diop étant sénégalais, Wiley afroaméricain et Shonibare anglo-nigérian. C’est un moyen aussi d’analyser cette question de la double identité que la mondialisation a entrainée par le prisme de l’art et la manière dont cela se manifeste chez ces artistes. Nous assistons à une ouverture des frontières géographiques créant ainsi de nouveaux contacts entre les différents pays notamment d’un point de vue culturel. Ainsi, s’ajoute au phénomène de la mondialisation celui de la mouvance postcoloniale. Cette pensée post-coloniale nous pousse à nous questionner sur la manière dont les artistes contemporains, et dans notre cas les artistes contemporains africains, définissent leur identité et ce que la notion d’authenticité signifie pour eux. Il y a une remise en question des stéréotypes, une réflexion autour de la binarité Occident/Orient, blanc/noir et enfin une volonté de montrer l’importance de la place des Noirs dans l’histoire chez Wiley, Shonibare et Diop. C’est donc une conscience commune autour de l’identité noire chez ces trois artistes qui nous permet de les rattacher à la notion de panafricanisme. / This thesis investigates the relationships between Western art and the works of three artists of African descent, Omar Victor Diop, Kehinde Wiley, and Yinka Shonibare, to uncover a distinct artistic genre, called hybrid, through these artists’ respective media. The hybridity that their art embodies results from the type of cultural duality that globalization enables. Of particular interest are these artists’ nationalities and ethnic identities, Diop being Senegalese, Wiley African-American, and Shonibare Anglo-Nigerien. As such the analysis unpacks the phenomenon of cultural duality engendered by globalization through the prism of art and the way it manifests itself in these artists’ works through which we witness the opening of geographical borders, thus breaking down barriers between different countries, particularly from a cultural point of view. In addition to the phenomenon of globalization, the thesis also investigates whether these artists of hybridity find their place in the post-colonial movement. The focus on the post-colonial era prompts us to question how contemporary artists, in this case contemporary African artists, define their identities and reveal what authenticity means to them. Stereotypes are questioned, as are the Western vs. non-Western and white vs. black divides. Finally, the thesis investigates these artists’ desire to show the place that Black people occupy in history. In this way, the black consciousness that runs through these three artists’ works allows us to appreciate their contributions to Panafricanism.

Text in English / This dissertation reports on a study, which used story telling through installation art in analysing how migration has affected the identity of Shona people of Zimbabwe resulting in a new hybrid identity. This identity morphing has happened through the increased rate of trans-border mobility for economic survival and development. The research explores reflections associated with the life of individuals through the unfolding of socio-political and economic situations in Zimbabwe focusing on the historical and contemporary social relations of the Shonas (from Zimbabwe). The research in addition speculates as to how this migration creates difficulties with regards to immigrants’ experiences in their new habitats as they enter a state of limbo. It further investigates how the difference in status and the perception of identity affects Zimbabweans in their social inheritance of nomadic characteristics. The main objective of this study is to cast light on how constant migration has affected the constructs of the Shona identity as the people get in contact with various cultures leading to the formation of an intercultural identity. The study used the concept of storytelling through installation art to represent how migration has affected Shona people’s identity resulting in a new hybrid. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (Visual Arts)