The American Federation of Arts is pleased to announce Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary, the U.S. debut of Sanctuary City, a powerful and timely installation by British Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare (b. 1962, London).

The installation consists of eighteen scaled-down replicas of historical and contemporary buildings that have served—or continue to serve—as places of refuge for persecuted and vulnerable groups or individuals. These structures range from ancient temples and medieval cathedrals to modern-day safe houses and shelters. Together, they underscore the enduring human need for safety and refuge throughout centuries of global history, as well as the pressing responsibility to ensure these human rights in the present day. As Shonibare notes, “Shelter is one of the most pressing political concerns right now. Sanctuary is not just a structure—it’s a promise, and far too many people are denied it.”

Displayed within a darkened gallery, the black-painted architectural models glow from within, their illuminated interiors lined with the artist’s signature Dutch wax textiles. Shonibare’s use of this historically rich and politically charged fabric, a symbol of cultural hybridity and the entangled legacies of colonial trade, links the intimate spaces of refuge to broader global histories of migration, empire, and resistance. As light emanates from each miniature “sanctuary,” the surrounding darkness is transformed: the gallery becomes an atmospheric landscape in which these havens punctuate the space like beacons of hope, resilience, and human dignity.

Shonibare, whose multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, installation, photography, film, painting, and textile-based work, is internationally renowned for his incisive examinations of race, class, cultural identity, and postcolonial power structures. His work often draws on European art history and literary narrative, reinterpreting familiar scenes and symbols to reveal the exclusions, contradictions, and violence embedded within. Sanctuary continues this trajectory, using architecture as a metaphor to expose the politics of belonging, and to shine a light on those excluded from safety and the institutions that courageously protect them.

This installation speaks to the heart of what sanctuary means, physically, morally, and politically. Shonibare’s art challenges us to confront our responsibilities to one another, and to recognize every person’s basic need for shelter and a safe haven. While pointing to global history, the artist makes an urgent call for action today and into the future.