Chris Ofili at the Barbican and Art Basel 2026
Published on 09/01/2026 at 11:24 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Chris Ofili is visible this week in both a museum survey and a major fair presentation. Victoria Miro states that his work features in Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica at the Barbican, on view through September 6, 2026, while the gallery also places him in its Art Basel 2026 booth.
Art Basel and the Barbican
The Barbican lists Chris Ofili among the artists in Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica, which opened on June 11, 2026 and runs to September 6, 2026 Barbican event page. Victoria Miro separately says the artist is part of its Art Basel 2026 presentation, where a major new painting by Ofili debuts at Booth E6.
The fair framing matters because it keeps Ofili in a visible market context while the Barbican show gives that visibility curatorial weight. The two settings are different, but they reinforce each other.
What the fair presentation adds
At Art Basel, Victoria Miro highlights Our Times: Hunters in pink shade lure butterflies into their griffin's chain link lair, 2015-2026, as one of two related works by Ofili to debut at the fair Victoria Miro Art Basel 2026 page. The gallery describes it as a major new painting that has been in gestation for a decade.
That phrasing fits Ofili's practice. His paintings often build slowly, then arrive with dense layers of image, reference and surface.
More news and background on Chris Ofili
Exhibitions, fairs and collection updates keep Ofili moving between museum context and the market.
The work core
Ofili is best known for painting, but the practice reaches into drawing, collage and occasional installation. Key work groups include The Upper Room, No Woman, No Cry and The Seven Deadly Sins.
His public profile rests on a long arc of exhibition history, from the Turner Prize in 1998 to continued institutional and gallery circulation. That persistence helps explain why his work fits both a Barbican survey and a fair booth.
Where the artist stands now
Chris Ofili's next confirmed public date in this cycle is the Barbican presentation through September 6, 2026, in London.
Chris Ofili at a glance
- Artist: Chris Ofili
- Medium / Genre: Painting, drawing, collage
- Born: 1968, Manchester, UK
- Place(s) of practice: London
- Active since: 1990s
- Key work groups: The Upper Room, No Woman, No Cry, The Seven Deadly Sins
- Current/last exhibition: Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica, Barbican Art Gallery, London, June 11-September 6, 2026
- Awards: Turner Prize, 1998
- Next date: September 6, 2026, Barbican Art Gallery, London
Frequently asked questions about Chris Ofili
Where is Chris Ofili currently on view?
At the Barbican in London, where Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica runs until September 6, 2026. Victoria Miro also places him in its Art Basel 2026 presentation.
What work did Victoria Miro highlight for Art Basel 2026?
The gallery names Our Times: Hunters in pink shade lure butterflies into their griffin's chain link lair, 2015-2026, as one of the related paintings debuting at the fair.
Which award is most closely tied to Chris Ofili's career profile?
He won the Turner Prize in 1998, a milestone that still anchors his position in British contemporary art.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
