Virgil Abloh’s ‘Figure of Speech’ exhibit will be part of the Qatar-USA Year of Culture and will be the artist’s first in the Middle East.
Qatar Museums (QM) will be presenting a mid-career retrospective of acclaimed American artist and designer, Virgil Abloh on 5 November at the Fire Station, the institute announced.
Abloh was inspired by the urban culture of Chicago at an early age. During the pursuit of his postgraduate degree, he met American rapper Kanye West and joined West’s creative team to work on album covers, concert designs, and merchandising.
In 2013, Abloh founded his stand-alone fashion brand Off-White in Milan, Italy, and in 2018 he assumed the position of Men’s Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton.
Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech will be on display until March 31 of next week and is part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture programme. This will be the first such exhibition of Abloh’s work in the Middle East.
“We believe that people in Qatar and throughout the Gulf will be enthralled by this introduction to the visionary, barrier-defying work of artist and designer Virgil Abloh,” said Chairperson of QM Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
“We are especially thrilled that Figures of Speech will open during our week-long event Qatar Creates: Fashion and Design, which will bring together creative professionals from around the world in celebration of our local and regional talent.
“With both the exhibition and the event, Qatar Museums is carrying forward its commitment to nurturing artistic talent, opening career opportunities, and offering inspiration to our audiences,” Sheikha Al Mayassa added.
Qatar’s institution for art and culture will showcase 55 works that will provide an immersive look into Abloh’s diverse portfolio across various avenues of visual arts, music, fashion, architecture and design.
Figures of Speech is organised by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), adapted for this presentation by QM, and designed by and in collaboration with AMO. It was curated by the MCA’s former James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator Michael Darling with creative direction from Abloh, and Samir Bantal, the director of AMO.
Figure of Speech is sponsored by ExxonMobil, Qatar Airways, Astro Automotive Services, and Mazaya Real Estate Development Company.
