Othello, 2018

Miami Beach 2019
Othello

Two Palms

USD 20,000
Prints & Multiples
Suite of 10 etchings with title page and colophon, aquatint, black mica, and white ink in a portfolio box.
Edition of 20
38.1 x 28.6 （厘米）
15.0 x 11.3 （吋）
Since the mid-1990's Chris Ofili has become well known for his vibrant, technically complex, and meticulously executed paintings and works on paper. While his early works were predominantly abstract, involving intricate patters and colors, he has since developed a signature figurative style that bridges the gap between the sacred and the profane, and by extension, between high art and popular culture. Thus it is no surprise to see Ofili draw inspiration from Shakespeare, one of the most popular and critically celebrated writers of all time. Each etching in the Othello portfolio features a face made of delicately drawn white lines that emerges from an opalescent black background. The foreheads serve as the stage for the story, each one featuring a different component of the Othello tragedy, beginning with Othello's marriage to Desdemona and ending with his suicide. As one walks around the etchings, the black mica background shimmers, bringing life and movement to the story depicted.