Chris Ofili's Secret Preparations for the 2003 Venice Biennale

In a 2003 interview with artpress, Barry Schwabsky explores Chris Ofili's preparations for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Ofili, who won the Turner Prize in 1998, kept his new works under wraps, with no photographs available and only vague descriptions shared in a pub. The paintings continue from his series 'Freedom One Day', depicting a couple in a paradise-like world, using red, green, and black—colors of Marcus Garvey's nationalist flag. Ofili cites influences from Philip Guston and Giorgio Morandi, and listens to Alice Coltrane in his studio. The installation will not feature architectural additions like his previous 'The Upper Room' but aims for an intimate atmosphere. Ofili, born in 1968, lives in London and last had a solo show in 2002 at Victoria Miro Gallery.