When Chris Offili painted and exhibited his artwork, he did not expect the kind of reception that it received. His work was a reflection of art historical precedents. He had painted it with the intention of communicating the themes of religion, identity politics, and popular culture. On exhibiting the artwork, he believed that the audience would look beneath the surface to understand its complexity. However, this was not the kind of reception that the artwork received. The audience saw it as being blasphemous and offensive to religious viewers. A visitor at the museum went to as far as vandalizing the painting using white paint on the canvas. However, the paint was cleaned by the staff without causing damage to the painting. The painter must not have known that his painting will be a source of the major controversy in the world of art. It came as a surprise how his painting became a source of international controversy.