The Upper Room: Mono Oro 2002

Chris Ofili made this painting, “Mono Oro,” with oil paint, glitter, polyester resin, and yes, even elephant dung. These unexpected materials are central to its meaning. The painting’s surface shimmers, thanks to the glitter, and undulates with the resin; it’s a complex, almost baroque effect. The elephant dung, which also appears in other works by Ofili, connects the painting to broader social issues, to labor, politics, and consumption. The material literally grounds the painting, making it impossible to ignore questions of origin and process. Ofili's approach challenges traditional art history and its focus on the purely visual. Instead, he asks us to consider the artwork as an object, a thing made of stuff, imbued with cultural significance through the labor of its creation. In this way, Ofili dissolves the boundaries between fine art and craft, inviting us to see the beauty and power in the act of making itself.