A stunning presentation of the acclaimed British painter Chris Ofilis newest body of work that continues his exploration of Shakespeares Othello
Renowned for his rich, multilayered paintings, Ofili here expands his engagement with William Shakespeares The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (16031604). The transmuting colors and forms of the watercolors and paintings in this volume reflect the complex interiority of the character Othellohis vulnerabilities and his joyful sorrows. The artist also considers these works, which investigate ideas of authenticity, meaning, and selfhood, to be partly self-portraits. As viewers and readers, encountering a subject whose features split and shift with each repeated representation, we are asked to consider metamorphosis, love, the bearing of outside influences on our inner selves, and the force we exercise on the world.
Published on the occasion of a two-site exhibition staged by David Zwirner Paris and Victoria Miro in Venice, the catalogue includes a text from Ofilis studio and a selection of poems by Jason Allen-Paisant from his 2023 collection Self-Portrait as Othello.
