Stamping his mark

To mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy in London, Shonibare was one of four artists commissioned to create a set of special stamps. Asked by the Guardian how he felt about the fact that his work was soon to glorify millions of letters, he replied: “It’s not something you ever think you’ll do, to be honest. It depends how you measure it, but in a sense it must be the biggest public art commission I’ve ever taken on.”