I was completely consumed by Chris Olifi’s new exhibition at the Tate Britain. Immediately drawn to vibrant colours and intricately ornamented paintings bringing together over 45 paintings from the mid 1990s to the present. Ofili’s pencil drawings and watercolours left me gazing in a trance. He built up his international reputation through hard work underpinned by his cultural beliefs and drawings from a wide range of influences from Zimbabwean cave paintings and blaxploitation. He moved to Trinidad in 2005 and adopting a simplified palette suggests to me that Ofili’s extraordinary talent for simplicity and emotional depth resonates through his current exhibition.
The highlights for me were Blue Riders 2006 (oli, acrylic and charcoal on lined 278 4 x 200.2). Confronted by this deep blue sensory overload sent shivers all over. Followed by The Upper Room (installation of thirteen paintings) The more you study them the more they leave you wondering what more can he offer us.
A must see exhibition www.tatebritain.co.uk
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