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
online — or pick up a signed copy while meeting the artist at David Zwirner.
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