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