Yinka Shonibare is one of a generation of young British artists whose work attracts considerable acclaim in Britain and abroad. Irreverent and witty, Yinka Shonibare’s work challenges traditional distinctions made between art and craft. By drawing on African and Victorian influences, he explores issues of class, race and identity. Yinka Shonibare had been working in Birmingham since spring 1997, when he collaborated with people from Aston to produce a new exhibition for Aston Hall – Portable Personal Histories Museum, a project which continues to develop throughout the exhibition.