Chris Ofili

Description

British painter Chris Ofili (b. 1968) is one of the most remarkable artists of his generation. This vibrantly illustrated survey, which accompanies a major Tate exhibi tion, sheds new light on Ofili's inspiration and technique. Ofili's paintings often refer to his Nigerian heritage and the wider African-American and Afro-Caribbean experi ence. He uses a range of materials in his works, including sequins, glitter, map pins, and his trademark, varnished elephant dung. Because of this, Ofili's painting The Holy Virgin Mary was declared "blasphemous" by former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani when it arrived at the Brooklyn Museum in 1999 for the Sensation exhibition. An outstanding artist whose work garners attention worldwide, Ofili was closely involved with the preparation of this volume.

Judith Nesbitt is chief curator at Tate Britain. Okwui Enwezor was director of Documenta 11 in Kassel, Germany. Ekow Eshun is director of the I.C.A. in London. Attillah Springer is a Trinidad-born writer and television producer