Chris Ofili

A leading member of the YBA (Young British Artists) group that gained notoriety in the late 1990s through their use of provocative forms and diverse materials, Chris Ofili creates paintings and collages which tackle themes around sexual and racial stereotypes, love, gender, and mortality. His paintings often incorporate collage and three-dimensional elements and are monumental in scale. One of his paintings, The Holy Virgin Mary, which combined an image of the Virgin with porn clippings and elephant dung, generated widespread controversy and a rebuke from then-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. At the time, the work was showing at the Sensation exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. Giuliani's attempt to punish the Brooklyn Museum by withholding city funds ultimately failed but not before generating widespread media attention and global visibility for Ofili and the other artists represented.

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What to expect from Frieze London
What to expect from Frieze London
These Artworks Will Soothe You In Tough Times
These Artworks Will Soothe You In Tough Times
Behind Some of the World's Largest Artist Grants
Behind Some of the World's Largest Artist Grants
White Columns Director Matthew Higgs's Favorite Works from NADA
White Columns Director Matthew Higgs's Favorite Works from NADA
Art Is A Weapon: Hans Haacke on How Art Survived Bush
Art Is A Weapon: Hans Haacke on How Art Survived Bush
Here's How 10 Masterpieces Got Sold at Christie's
Here's How 10 Masterpieces Got Sold at Christie's
Laura Hoptman's Oral History of New York Painting
Laura Hoptman's Oral History of New York Painting
3 Rising African Painters You Need to Know Now
3 Rising African Painters You Need to Know Now
Laura Hoptman on Good Paintings vs. “Bogus” Ones
Laura Hoptman on Good Paintings vs. “Bogus” Ones
Chris Ofili Wants to Help You Do Your Dishes
Chris Ofili Wants to Help You Do Your Dishes
Sandy Rower's Top Five Picks From Art Basel
Sandy Rower's Top Five Picks From Art Basel
5 Lessons From New York's Spring Evening Sales
5 Lessons From New York's Spring Evening Sales
The 7 Top Art Destinations of 2016
The 7 Top Art Destinations of 2016
Heidi Zuckerman on How to Make Patronage Pay
Heidi Zuckerman on How to Make Patronage Pay
10 Artists to Watch This July
10 Artists to Watch This July
Morgan Falconer on Where Painting Is Going
Morgan Falconer on Where Painting Is Going
Michael Hort on Becoming an Influential Collector
Michael Hort on Becoming an Influential Collector
How Arnold Lehman Transformed the Brooklyn Museum
How Arnold Lehman Transformed the Brooklyn Museum
Jerry Saltz on His (Brief) Exile From Facebook
Jerry Saltz on His (Brief) Exile From Facebook
Michael Hort's Armory Week 2015 Picks
Michael Hort's Armory Week 2015 Picks
Matthew Higgs on Finding Space for Underdogs
Matthew Higgs on Finding Space for Underdogs
10 Artists to Watch This October
10 Artists to Watch This October
10 Exhibitions That Changed Contemporary Art
10 Exhibitions That Changed Contemporary Art