ADAA: The Art Show 2017

David Zwirner is pleased to participate in ADAA: The Art Show (http://artdealers.org/the-art-show/information) 2017 with a special presentation of work by Chris Ofili (b. Manchester, England, 1968). This installation will include four new paintings and several new watercolors by the artist.

Displaying an intricate balance of abstract and figurative elements, Ofili's new suite of paintings is dominated by complex arrangements of repeated triangular motifs. Often paired in alternating duotones, hundreds of small triangles cover these canvases, creating in each a dynamic visual rhythm that shifts and pulsates. In the midst of these all-over geometric compositions, Ofili has inscribed figures in charcoal, which range from detailed portraits to shadowy semi-abstractions. These figures, partially subsumed within the kaleidoscopic patterns, produce a deft play of textures between their matte surface and the rich impasto of the rest of the canvas.

Also on display will be a grouping of new watercolors marked by vibrant washes of color and delicate patterning. Closely related to the artist's recent large-scale paintings, these works display Ofili's diverse range of sources, which include William Blake, Tintoretto, and his own experiences of the culture and landscape of Trinidad, where has lived since 2005.

In 2015, a suite of Ofili's paintings was included in All The World's Futures, the 56th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, curated by Okwui Enwezor. Ofili's work has been the subject of solo exhibitions worldwide, including recent shows at the New Museum, New York (2014), which traveled to the Aspen Art Museum, Colorado (2015); Tate Britain, London (2010 and 2005); kestnergesellschaft, Hanover (2006); and The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (2005). He represented Britain in the 50th Venice Biennale (2003) and, in 1998, he was awarded the prestigious Turner Prize. In 2016, Ofili was a recipient of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), awarded by the Queen.