No Woman, No Cry

Turner Prize-winner Chris Ofili often paints with elephant dung or phosphorescent paint. One of the Young British Artists (a group which included Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin), Ofili took inspiration from painters as diverse as Basquiat and Baselitz to give voice to black lives in Britain.

The teardrops in this tender painting contain collaged pictures of the London teenager, Stephen Lawrence, victim of a racist murder in 1993. 

Ofili was deeply moved by Doreen Lawrence’s dignity throughout the public enquiry into her son’s death, which exposed the mishandling of the investigation and the institutional racism of the Metropolitan Police.

A pendant of elephant dung hangs from the woman's necklace.

When exhibited, the large work rests on lumps of elephant dung bearing the words "No Woman...

...No Cry". Ofili is known for his use of evocative physical materials within his works. This approach is important to Ofili. He feels the presence of disparate elements speaks of coexistence and harmony, as well as giving viewers a multi-sensory experience.

The words ‘R.I.P. Stephen Lawrence’ are just discernible beneath the layers of paint, and made more visible with the absence of light. Despite these specific references, Ofili also intended the painting to be read in more general terms, as a universal portrayal of melancholy and grief.