Chris Ofili - Tate Britain

Solo show at Tate Britain. 2010
Date: 27 January, 2010 until 16 May, 2010
Curator: Judith Nesbit/Helen Little
Organiser: Tate Britain

One of Chris Ofili’s most substantial exhibitions to date was his mid-career retrospective at Tate Britain, 27 January - 16 May 2010. From the Introduction in the accompanying exhibition guide:

“This exhibition begins with a selection of the exuberant paintings Ofili produced in the 1990s. These richly layered paintings pulsate with the colour and energy of the artist’s intricate brushwork, to which he added glitter, resin, map pins, and collaged magazine cut-outs. He also applied elephant dung balls to the canvas and used them to prop the paintings on the floor. Challenging stereotypical representations of black culture, Ofili created his own contemporary iconography combining Afro celebration, hip hop and gangsta rap, with comic caricatures and Biblical imagery.

At the centre of the exhibition is the extraordinary sensory experience of The Upper Room, 1999-2002. This series of 13 paintings is installed in a specially constructed vault designed in collaboration with architect David Adjaye. These celebrated works can now be considered alongside the artist’s recent paintings, which are profoundly affected by his observation of Trinidad’s landscape, customs and beliefs. Brought together for the first time, this wide range of work demonstrates Ofili’s continual experimentation with painting and the eclectic nature of his visual inspiration - from hip hop to spirituality, folklore, and the natural world.”

The exhibition covered some seven rooms of the Tate Britain and spanned the major aspects of his output thus far. The exhibition was accompanied by a substantial catalogue and other publicity and paraphernalia. Chris Ofili, the exhibition, garnered a range of press coverage of significant importance and quantity.

»  A bright new wave - Chris Ofili

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»  Chris Ofili - Tate Britain, Gallery guide

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»  Chris Ofili - The Upper Room -13 Postcards

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