Chris Ofili The Fountain 2017–2023
310 x 200 cm
122 x 78 3/4 in
Oil and charcoal on linen
Gathered around the base of a deep bowl, three figures are focused on supporting the vessel and the burst of fire, flowers, and particles that spring up from it. A jade green figure lies on her stomach, pushing her head back and holding up the bowl with her feet. Two dark indigo figures face the bowl on either side – one lies recumbent, a spray of particles shooting up out of their parted mouth. The third figure, a satyr with kaleidoscopic horns, sits upright, arms outstretched, their face and torso veiled beneath abundant flecks.
Flames lick upwards. A plume of smoke rises and simultaneously reveals itself as a tangle of figures. They reach upwards, opening their mouths to become the source of a cascading stream of smaller spectral figures jetting up – some seem to disperse and some are drawn back down towards the bowl. There is a feeling of symbiosis within this painting, with elements feeding each other in a cyclical motion.