Chris Ofili: Weaving Magic

The National Gallery unveils The Caged Bird’s Song, a new tapestry by Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili. The exhibition marks the first time the artist has worked in the medium of tapestry and will include a series of
preparatory works on paper in an installation for the Gallery’s Sunley Room. The imagery in this new tapestry reflects Ofili’s ongoing interest in classical mythology, together with the stories, magic and colour of the Trinidadian landscape he inhabits. Like Rubens, Goya and many artists before him who have engaged with this medium, Ofili has been collaborating closely with master weavers to see his design translated into a tapestry. It is being hand-woven by the internationally renowned, Edinburgh-based Dovecot Tapestry Studio, and has taken two and a half years to complete. Find out more about the ‘Weaving Magic’ exhibition from the National Gallery’s website.

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The Caged Bird’s Song Chris Ofili: Weaving Magic © Chris Ofili. Courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro, London, The Clothworkers’ Company and Dovecot Tapestry Studio, Edinburgh. Photography: Gautier Deblonde

The Caged Bird’s Song (detail; 2014–2017), Chris Ofili. © Chris Ofili. Courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro, London, The Clothworkers’ Company and Dovecot Tapestry Studio, Edinburgh. Photography: Gautier Deblonde

Chris Ofili at the National Gallery, London, 2012. © The National Gallery, London

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