Notorious for the Virgin Mary painting that riled Giuliani and was attacked by a religious fanatic, Chris Ofili is a maker of marvelous art.
Whether it’s adding clumps of elephant dung to paintings or displaying canvases atop the balls of excrement, Ofili’s engagement with the spiritual through base materials is profound. His dense and decorative works address sex, beauty, and religion from fresh perspectives, and his installations advance the ways we consider art. A new Rizzoli monograph explores the complexity of this Manchester-born, Trinidad-based artist in depth.
Visit Ofili’s gallery page, check out his current exhibition, watch a video about his exhibition The Upper Room, read an interview between Ofili and Peter Doig, and buy his new monograph
Chris Ofili, The Holy Virgin Mary, 1996, Acrylic, oil, resin, and elephant dung on canvas, Image Size: 95.98 x 71.97 inches, 243.8 x 182.8 cm, Courtesy Chris Ofili/Afroco and David Zwirner, New York
Chris Ofili, Monkey Magic - Sex, Drugs & Money - flip side, 2001, Acrylic, oil, synthetic resin, and dung, Image Size: 95.98 x 72.44 x 6.89 inches
Chris Ofili, Afro Apparition, 2002-2003, Acrylic paint, oil paint, polyester resin, glitter, map pins, and elephant dung on linen, Image Size: 108.27 x 84.25 inches, Courtesy Chris Ofili/Afroco and David Zwirner, New York
Chris Ofili, Within Reach, installation at the 50th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy, 2003, Courtesy Chris Ofili/Afroco and David Zwirner, New York
Chris Ofili, Afro Muses: Harem 2, 1995-2005, 9 works; each watercolor and graphite on paper, Image Size: each: 9.57 x 6.18 inches, Courtesy Chris Ofili/Afroco and David Zwirner, New York
Chris Ofili, Her Gift Two & His Gift Two, 2006, Gouache, ink, charcoal, and gold leaf on paper, Image Size: Diptych; each framed: 76 x 36 3/4 x 2 1/4 inches, Each; paper: 63 x 25 3/4 inches, Courtesy Chris Ofili/Afroco and David Zwirner, New York
Chis Ofili, Thirty Pieces of Silver, 2006, Oil, acrylic, and charcoal on canvas, Image Size: 109.61 x 78.82 inches, Courtesy Chris Ofili/Afroco and David Zwirner, New York
Chris Ofili, Douen's Dance 2007 Oil on linen, Image Size: 110 5/8 x 76 3/4 inches, Courtesy Chris Ofili/Afroco and David Zwirner, New York
Chris Ofili, The Raising of Lazarus, 2007, Oil on canvas, Image Size: Canvas: 109.72 x 78.9 x 1.63 inches, Courtesy Chris Ofili/Afroco and David Zwirner, New York
Comments (2)
Fanciful and beautiful!
I led a march called “Moms for the Museum” with my then four year old as a fun little child friendly way to protect the Museum from the protestors during the Sensation show. The kids had drums and I had a poster displauing my own subversive “MOMdonna”… the kids had signs too, that they made “Rudy is a Dootie” “Rudy go to Time out!” we were attacked by crazed nuns spouting four letter words at the four year olds and a man with a swastika.Its the same people attacking the abortion clinics today in the South Bronx. Check out my website to see my own “MOMdonnas” and a recent post about my show in Rome- where we had permission from the Police to Parade! at studiora….
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