Chris Ofili

Chris Ofili (b. 1968, England) creates iridescent artworks out of eclectic and multi-layered materials. Juxtaposing high art forms with popular culture, Ofili’s compositions include traces of religion, Hollywood films, his Nigerian heritage and classical literature, among other inspirations. His materials are likewise contradictory and varied; for instance, he is known for using elephant dung to embellish paintings and producing prints with multiple techniques. Ofili’s inventive practice navigates the tensions between traditional subjects and unorthodox forms, undoing the boundary between the sacred and the profane.

Ofili holds a BFA from the Chelsea School of Art and an MFA from Royal College of Art. In 1998 the artist was awarded the Turner Prize and he was honored in 2017 with the title Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The artist’s works are found in public collections around the world, notably The British Museum (London), Goetz Collection (Munich), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and Walker Art Center (Minneapolis). Ofili maintains studios in Brooklyn, London, and Trinidad and Tobago.