Edition Copenhagen presents first lithograph ever by Chris Ofili
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Chris Ofili, Ritual and Desire, 2009 |
Chris Ofili: Ritual and Desire
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Info
Contact
pws@editioncopenhagen.com
Peter Wissing
+45 32 54 33 11
+45 32 54 33 75
Address
http://www.editioncopenhagen.com
Edition Copenhagen
Strandgade 66
1401 Copenhagen K
Denmark
In 2009 Chris Ofili visited Edition Copenhagen and made his first ever lithograph Ritual and Desire. As the title suggests the work has a religious iconography - three bearded men are sitting below a tree, each swinging a twig and worshipping a figure in the tree, casting light down on the men. The lithograph is carried out in a traditional way using crayon, classical air-brush and ink to create large areas of beautiful washes.
British artist Chris Ofili (b. 1968) was a part of the controversial 1990s YBA/Young British Artists. Ofili explores a wide range of topics from biblical themes and black culture to explicit sensuality and pornographic imagery. Ofili is however probably best known for his performances, sculptures and paintings containing or being displayed on lumps of elephant dung. In what could be called a naive and decorative style, Ofili challenges the idea of a Carribean or African Paradise. With silver, golden leafs, resin and glitter he attracts and emphasizes our expectations of Black culture. Chris Ofili himself is of Nigerian descent, and his interest in black stereotypes and interfaces between cultural traditions of Africa and the West is evident throughout his work.
About Edition Copenhagen
Edition Copenhagen was founded in 1959 by Carl Urwald. Today the gallery has three partners Rasmus Urwald, Dannie Vieten and Peter Wissing Sørensen. The gallery is located at Christianshavn in Copenhagen and houses both a lithographic workshop and a gallery space. Edition Copenhagen is one of the leading lithographic workshops in Europe. Each year the gallery invites a number of international and Danish artists to create lithographs in the workshop. The invited artists have all exhibited widely in galleries, contemporary art centers and museums. Besides inviting established artists Edition Copenhagen also aims at working with new and upcoming artists. Among the represented artists are John Armleder, Antony Gormley, Katharina Grosse, Yoshitomo Nara, Chris Ofili, Ugo Rondinone, Thomas Ruff and Luc Tuymans. Danish artists such as Michael Kvium, Christian Lemmerz, John Kørner and Erik A. Frandsen have also worked in the workshop.
