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Explore the multi-layered paintings of Chris Ofili, the first Black British artist to win the Turner Prize. Learn about his use of unconventional materials, his references to black culture, and his controversies.
- British
- October 10, 1968
- Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Learn about Chris Ofili, a British painter who explores the Black experience with colorful and textured works. See his artworks, including the controversial The Holy Virgin Mary, and find out how to buy them.
- British
- Summary of Chris Ofili
- Accomplishments
- Biography of Chris Ofili
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Chris Ofili is famous for shocking the world by using elephant dung on a painting of the Virgin Mary, however as well as being provocative, his work is embroiled in a nuanced and complex set of religious and socio-political issues. His paintings include unconventional craft materials such as glitter, map pins, glue and collage, as well as the more ...
Hybridity is an idea introduced by postcolonial theorist, Homi Bhaba, to name the way that migration, particularly between places that have been colonized, and those doing the colonizing, produces...Ofili's paintings often appear decorative, that is they are extremely pleasing to look at and use materials, such as glitter and map pins, associated with unserious aesthetic objects. To call a con...Almost all of Ofili's work deals with elements of Black experience. The work is explicitly anti-racist and often challenges white supremacy and its real (in the streets) and symbolic (in galleries)...Childhood
Born in 1968 in Manchester, England, to Nigerian parents, Chris Ofili was the second of four children. His parents had only been in the country for three years when he was born, and they worked hard to give their children a good life. They were both employed in the McVities biscuit factory, but Ofili's father, Michael, left the family when Chris was 11 years old and went back to Nigeria where he had another family. His mother, May, worked hard for 30 years to ensure she could support Chris, h...
Early Years and Training
After embarking on an art foundation course at Tameside College, he fell in love with painting and abandoned the idea of becoming a carpenter. Ofili was inspired by Chris Clark, a teacher who would famously encourage his students to lie down and meditate before they embarked on a painting. In 1991 he completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Chelsea College of Arts where he befriended artist Simon Ling and Scottish painter Peter Doig, who was seven years his senior. Doig said: "Chris alway...
Mature Period
In 1999 Ofili became an international figure of controversy when his Holy Virgin Marywas taken for exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. The piece caused furious condemnation from Mayor Rudy Giuliani (who said "its sick"), the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal John O'Connor and Donald Trump (who called it "degenerate stuff"). The Mayor threatened to withdraw funding and the show was closed down. The ensuing media circus unsettled Ofili. He said: "I was scared. It was this American rag...
Learn about Chris Ofili, a provocative and experimental artist who mixes Western and Nigerian influences, elephant dung, glitter, and collage in his paintings. Explore his themes of Black experience, religion, and hybridity in his works such as The Holy Virgin Mary and Afrodizzia.
- British
- October 10, 1968
- Manchester, England
Christopher Ofili, CBE (born 10 October 1968) is a British painter who is best known for his paintings incorporating elephant dung. He was Turner Prize -winner and one of the Young British Artists. Since 2005, Ofili has been living and working in Trinidad and Tobago, where he currently resides in the city of Port of Spain.
Discover and purchase Chris Ofili’s artworks, available for sale. Browse our selection of paintings, prints, and sculptures by the artist, and find art you love.
- Male
- British
Chris Ofili (b. 1968) creates intricate, kaleidoscopic paintings and works on paper that merge abstraction and figuration. His works—vibrant, symbolic, and often mysterious—draw upon the landscapes and traditions of Trinidad, where he has lived since 2005.
Chris Ofili is a British painter who uses various materials such as elephant dung, resin, beads and glitter in his works. He is one of the Young British Artists and has lived and worked in London, Brooklyn and Trinidad and Tobago.
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