Edition of 40 (plus artist and school proofs). Authenticated by the Yinka Shonibare Studio with a stamp and numbered. Each edition differs slightly due to the collage element. Materials: Lithograph with collage. Dimensions: 76 x 49.5 cm. Print is unframed. 'This image of the female 'Aristocrat' is based on a series which playfully tries to deconstruct icons of 'Western Power' by de-westernising them through masking their faces with African masks. I like to play with the idea of parodying excessive lifestyles, such as those who lived privileged lives in the 18th century – in particular the opulence of the Ancient Regime in France. These lifestyles were enabled by colonisation and the slave trade, and by making visual connections between the origins of their wealth, I like to explore the power relations between both worlds. I have drawn Dogon-style animal masks from Mali, West Africa, to cover the faces of the aristocrats and incorporated actual 'Dutch wax' batik pattern to create a 21st-century cultural hybrid.' Yinka Shonibare CBE, 2020.
