Chelsea graduate Chris Ofili’s Grenfell mural opens at Tate Britain

A major new site-specific work by Chelsea College of Arts, UAL graduate Chris Ofili has been unveiled at Tate Britain. Requiem pays tribute to fellow artist Khadija Saye and remembers the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire. Spanning 3 walls, the work is a reflection on loss, spirituality and transformation.

Chris is a 1993 graduate from BA Fine Art at Chelsea College of Arts. A painter, he uses colour, intricate patterns and layered symbolism to explore themes related to race, identity, and cultural heritage. In 1998, Chris became the first Black artist to win the Turner Prize.

About Requiem

Chris first met Khadija in May 2017 when they were both exhibiting work in Venice. One month later, Khadija died in the Grenfell Tower fire. Memories of their meeting had a profound impact on Chris, which led him to create the mural Requiem.

The finished work is open to the public following private viewings for Khadija’s family and the Grenfell community in September 2023.

Requiem travels across an imagined landscape, unfolding in 3 chapters united by water. The left-hand wall depicts a bowing figure holding the burning tower with tears falling from his eyes.

Khadija Saye is shown in the centre of the work, high up on the middle wall. Her pose is drawn from her own work Andichurai, 2017.

The right-hand wall is a landscape of hope and peace, where 2 mythical beings make music in the shade of a tree.

When making this work, the artist recalled the feelings he had when he made No Woman, No Cry in 1998 as a tribute to Stephen Lawrence and his mother Doreen.

Requiem will be on display on the walls of Tate Britain’s north staircase, for at least 10 years.