Africa’s foremost financial
institution, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, has partnered the British Council, the
UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational
opportunities, to sponsor the installation of the Wind Sculpture VI by renowned British-Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare MBE in Ndubuisi Kanu Park,
Ikeja, Lagos.
The installation of
the Wind Sculpture VI will be
the first time that Shonibare’s work has gone on public display in Nigeria. The
fibreglass artwork, six metres high by three metres wide, forms part of a
series of important large-scale works that marked a new departure for Yinka
Shonibare by working in fibre-glass and steel. Using these materials, Shonibare
investigates the shifting movement of wind passing through fabric and through these grand sculptures, he encapsulates the sheer volume of
wind three-dimensionally with exquisite dynamism. As part of the unveiling of
the sculpture, Shonibare will
give a talk to students and attend a screening of his work at the site of the
installation.
Yinka Shonibare is a Nigerian-British artist
renowned for his exploration of the issues of race and class through the media
of painting, sculpture, photography and film. His trademark material is the
brightly coloured ‘African’ batik fabric and one of his most famous works is ‘Nelson’s
Ship in a Bottle,’ which, in May 2010, was unveiled on the Fourth
Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London with the support of GTBank. In 2013, the
Bank also supported Yinka’s Wind Sculpture “FABRIC–ATION,” one of his largest
and most comprehensive exhibitions.
The Bank’s support for the installation of
the Wind Sculpture VI is the latest of its sustained
efforts to promote African and Africa-inspired arts locally and
internationally. It closely follows the Bank’s launch, in September, of ART635,
a foremost online repository of African artworks and the leading platform for
the promotion of indigenous artists across the continent. Arts is one of the
four pillars of GTBank’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy and the Bank’s
support for Arts over the years ranges from collecting art work from Nigerian
artists, to partnering institutions to
promote the value of African Art in Africa and the international markets through
project-lead initiatives.
Commenting
on the Bank’s unveiling of the Wind Sculpture VI, Mr Segun Agbaje, the Managing Director of
Guaranty Trust Bank plc, said; “With its bright colours of traditional
African fabrics, Yinka’s Wind Sculpture VI reflects the creativity of an
artist who is incredibly proud of his African heritage. As a proudly
African and Truly International Bank and an ardent supporter of Art, we are
delighted to co-sponsor the exhibition of this magnificent work of Art and we
hope it will intrigue and inspire everyone who views it.”
GTBank has consistently played a leading role
in Africa’s banking industry. The Bank is regarded by industry watchers as one
of the best run financial institutions across its subsidiary countries and
serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias
for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and
innovation.
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