Yinka Shonibare MBE: Being an Artist | Art21 "Exclusive"

[Yinka Shonibare MBE: Being an Artist]

You've got to be a bit utopian to be an artist,

because it's not a very realistic occupation.

The thought of being an artist in itself,

I think, is a utopian idea

because I don't really make anything useful.

And I think that...

that, in and of itself,

is an illustration of my own disposition.

Half the time, actually,
I don't believe that I am doing what I'm doing.

I'm realizing my dreams

and that somehow is also my profession.

There is no line between
the personal and the professional.

And so, in a way,

I feel very lucky that I can do that--

I can realize my utopian dreams

and still survive

through doing that.