Black Shunga
Chris Ofili
British, born 1968
2008–15
A luminous suite of eleven etchings and gravure prints on pigmented paper in which Chris Ofili layers deep-blue color, floral drawing, and handwritten text to evoke the intimate, historical associations suggested by the title “Black Shunga.”
A velvety, jewel-blue rectangle immediately commands attention, its soft, cloud-like color shifts punctuated by a delicate spray of flowers and bold, vertical hand-lettering that frames the image.
By combining traditional etching and gravure with intense pigment fields and references to Japanese shunga and personal ritual, Ofili broadened contemporary printmaking’s expressive possibilities while probing themes of eroticism, memory, and cultural exchange.
Medium
Portfolio of eleven etchings with gravure on pigmented paper
Dimensions
plate: 18 5/16 × 10 3/8" (46.5 × 26.3 cm); sheet: 26 3/8 × 17 1/2" (67 × 44.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Endowment
Accession
24.2016.1-11
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
