| Description |
The Studio Museum in Harlem proudly presents Chris Ofili: Afro Muses 1995-2005, a rare solo U.S. museum exhibition of more than 175 iconic watercolors created by the artist over the last decade.
Known for his aesthetic daring and his passion for painting, Ofili has always seen the watercolors as an important extension of his painting practice. Like some of his paintings and pencil drawings, these watercolors are imagined portraits of treasured archetypes and present Ofili’s acute sensitivity towards portraiture and his exuberant use of color. Mostly portraying women but also some men, they are created in vivid color with precise and bold lines.
Organized by SMH Chief Curator Thelma Golden, the curatorial process for this exhibition allowed for a degree of site-specificity. Ofili was not only inspired by the opportunity to show this body of work in New York, but particularly in Harlem.
“I think meaning shifts with context” says Ofili. “A painting can be shown in one place and taken one way, and shown in another and understood in a completely different way. But, ultimately the paintings stay the same, only the meanings shift through time and place and between people.” |