The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University will present 'Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary,' a major exhibition opening in February 2026. The show centers on the U.S. debut of Shonibare's monumental installation, *Sanctuary City* (2024), which features 18 illuminated, scaled-down replicas of historical and contemporary refuge buildings, each lined with the artist's signature Dutch wax textiles.
The exhibition is a timely and powerful meditation on forced migration, displacement, and the human right to sanctuary. By using architecture as a metaphor and linking intimate spaces of refuge to global histories of colonialism and trade, Shonibare's work challenges viewers to confront contemporary political urgencies surrounding safety and belonging.