Internationally celebrated artist Yinka Shonibare MBE (RA) will give a talk in the nave of Hereford Cathedral on January 24.
Turner Prize nominated Shonibare, whose trademark material is the brightly coloured African batik fabric, will be interviewed by broadcaster and writer Francine Stock, discussing his new work, Creatures of the Mappa Mundi.
Creatures, a new commission for Meadow Arts and Hereford Cathedral and funded by Herefordshire's a Great Place, has been inspired by the ‘strange creatures and alien races’ of the famous Medieval world map.
'Stork Person with Balloons (sketch)' by Yinka Shonibare
The new textiles piece has been made in collaboration with diverse groups of Herefordshire people. By taking part in sewing sessions members of The Courtyard's Creative Ageing project; disabled creatives from the Rose Tinted Rags charity, Echo based in Leominster; young people from SHYPP (Supported Housing for Young People Project), Hereford River Carnival volunteers, and Hereford College of Arts students have directly contributed to Shonibare's new work. The sessions also sparked group debates on the environment and immigration.
The result of the creative sessions will go on show at Hereford Cathedral from January 24, co-inciding with Shonibare's one-off talk.
The Hereford Mappa Mundi is a medieval map with remarkable and rich illustrations, some depicting strange people and animals, drawn by artists from various myths or the exaggerated descriptions of travellers to far off lands.
Shonibare was inspired by these creatures to create a series of figures both realistic and supernatural, for a series of textile hangings.
Tickets for the January 24 talk, priced £10, are available online (book here), by calling on 01432 374210 or in person at Hereford Cathedral Shop. Concession tickets, priced £7.50, are on sale over the telephone or in the shop.
The Creatures of the Mappa Mundi exhibition runs from January 24 to June 1, 2019.