About Artwork

Yinka Shonibare MBE is known for his signature use of Dutch wax fabric widely used in Africa but originating in Indonesia and Holland. In Flower Gun he uses this fabric to subvert an object originally intended to cause harm. In place of bullets, delicate hand-stitched origami fabric flowers are projected from the gun’s barrel. The gun is encased in acrylic making it an unreachable weapon, thus transforming its original purpose and rendering it redundant. Based on a 19th century design, the gun along with the Dutch wax fabric reflects Shonibare’s interest in the cultural effects and legacy of global trade and British imperialism. Flower Gun is a playful take on the futility of conflict and a comment on the prevalence of guns and violence in today’s society.