Chris Ofili (b. 1968), a member of the Young British Artists, is renowned for his vibrant, multi-layered works that celebrate Afrocentrism through both figurative and abstract approaches using both contemporary and historical lenses.
Ofili’s oeuvre is rich with kaleidoscopic compositions realized through unconventional mediums such as beads, glitter, map pins, and most notoriously, elephant dung.
His works blur the line between abstraction and figuration, often including obscured imagery, intricate symbolism, and diverse cultural references that contribute to a larger narrative.
In 2005, Ofili followed his friend and contemporary Peter Doig and relocated his life and practice to Trinidad and Tobago. The move played a significant role in his artistic trajectory, as he began integrating spiritual, mythological, cultural, and aesthetic influences from Caribbean life throughout his body of work.
"Study for Ovid-Windfall," recalls a mixed media preparatory drawing for a 2011-2012 large-scale painting of the same name. The print and painting stem from Ofili's Metamorphoses series, commissioned by the National Gallery, London, where Ofili, Conrad Shawcross, and Mark Wallinger reinterpreted Titian's mythological works that draw inspiration from Ovid's Metamorphoses.
In this work, a woman extends herself towards the sky, presenting a bowl to the universe in a symbolic act of offering and exchange. The atmosphere is marked by candied colors and fantastical forms, infusing the scene with vivid surrealism that underscores the cosmic forces at play.
Ofili was the recipient of the Turner Prize in 1998. His work is celebrated in public collections across the globe including the Tate (London), Studio Museum Harlem (New York), and the San Fransisco Museum of Art.
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"Study for Ovid-Windfall"
2012
Giclée on paper
Signed, dated, and numbered by the artist
From an edition of 175
19"H 12.5"W (work)
26.5"H 19.5"W (framed)
Very good condition
