Christmas Eve (flight) 2007

Chris Ofili painted Christmas Eve (flight) using oil on canvas. The flatness of the oil paint lends a dreamlike quality to the scene. The paint is applied in broad strokes, reminiscent of classic easel painting. Ofili's decision to use traditional oil paint connects this piece to a lineage of European fine art. Yet, the subject matter of this painting challenges the traditional art historical canon. The figures appear abstracted, almost silhouetted, their skin rendered in stark contrasts. There's a raw, primal energy to this work. By embracing the materiality of oil paint and applying it to subjects outside the European tradition, Ofili blurs the line between the old and the new, the familiar and the strange. It reminds us that materials and making are never neutral; they always carry cultural significance.