Corbin Shaw – Eurotrash

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Welcome to Eurotrash, Shaw’s wry, immersive portrait of a Britain caught between fading
grandeur and fraying national identity. This exhibition confronts the lingering nostalgic pangs for a
nation in purgatory, repurposing the cliche cultural debris of late 20th-century Britain to ask: what are
we left with, and what does life on the island mean today?
Stepping off the proverbial plane into Corbin’s "British airport," a set of familiar and absurd symbols of
modern Britain unfurl around you. Bleach-white Union Jacks and EU flags cascade from above, their
colors drained, casting a shadow over a landscape of colossal Brexit 50p coins—monuments to an
identity as weighty as it is hollow. At the center of the space, a sprawling public urinal fountain pays
homage to our peculiar, riotous patriotism, recalling the frenzied celebrations of national triumphs as
well as the lurid discontent simmering below the surface. There’s a sense the space is haunted by the
ghost of the infamous student arrested in Leeds for pissing on a war memorial while attending the
titular ‘Carnage’ club crawl…
Shaw wants us to think about the Britain we inhabit, marooned together on a crumbling island,
tethered to an Empire long gone but never forgotten. Corbin’s work examines the peculiar blend of
pride and melancholy that permeates a country that’s lost the plot of its own story, blurring the lines
between past glory and present decay. Echoing Orwell’s reflections in The English People, Shaw
attempts to dissect a national character steeped in contradictions—one Orwell described as fiercely
democratic yet fervently patriotic, a place where unity and division coexist in splendid paradox.
Through Eurotrash, Shaw delves into this tension, examining the absurd and often bitter realities of
modern British identity as a collision of nostalgia, irony, and defiance. His exhibition offers a passport
to a Britain haunted by its history, asking who we are now in a landscape where pride and despair vie
for the last word.
Soundtrack by James Massiah
Exhibition Text by Adam Bellagha

About Corbin Shaw
Corbin Shaw (b. 1998) is a British artist based in East London, originally from Sheffield. Exploring
themes of masculinity, personal and national identity through his multimedia practice. Using his
upbringing in a South Yorkshire ex-mining town Corbin investigate's masculinity and how it was
defined to him growing up. Challenging stigmas and stereotypes through his re-imagination of
masculine 'icons' and objects. The artist pays homage to the people and places that have shaped his
northern identity – the retail park, the pub, and boxing gyms. Collaborations include Women’s Aid,
BBC Sport , Fred Perry & The Pet Shop Boys. His work has been featured on cover’s for EXIT,
Perfect Magazine and Circle Zero Eight . As well as features in The Guardian, The Face, Dazed and
Metal Magazine and the Talk Art Podcast.
About Slam Jam
Founded by Luca Benini in 1989, Slam Jam was born to serve the underground long before the term
streetwear existed. From its headquarters in Ferrara, far from the establishment of European fashion,
Slam Jam has been able to refine its unique and distinctive style, using art, music, and clubs to
connect with tribes of like-minded people worldwide.