Description: Ofili's new edition highlights Shakespeare's tragedy of Othello's plight in 12 etchings depicting Othello with tears in his eyes, which flow below various scenes visualized in his forehead.
Brief description: Chris Ofili (b. 1968) explores the intersection of desire, identity, and representation in his work, which merges abstraction and figuration; vibrant, symbolic, and often mysterious, his paintings and works on paper incorporate a range of aesthetic and cultural sources. He has presented solo exhibitions at venues including the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (2017-2019); National Gallery, London (2017); New Museum, New York (2014-2015); The Arts Club of Chicago (2010); Tate Britain, London (2010 and 2005); Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover (2006); The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (2005); and Serpentine Gallery, London (1998). Ofili represented Britain in the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003 and won the Turner Prize in 1998. He lives and works in Trinidad.
Review Quotes: "Read this: Shakespeare, for Art Lovers... 'Othello, ' has etchings by the British artist Chris Ofili, who took on the loaded challenge of depicting the title character, confronting what the poet and scholar Fred Moten describes in his introduction as 'white fantasies of blackness.'"--Kate Guadagnino "The New York Times"