Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech”

Past Exhibition

5 November 2021 - 2 April 2022

Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” is the acclaimed American artist and designer’s first museum exhibition in the Middle East. With more than 55 works, the exhibition offers an in-depth look at the late artist’s diverse pioneering media practice, from visual arts to music, fashion, architecture and design.

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Virgil Abloh has made a career out of questioning assumptions and defying expectations. Born in 1980 and raised in the Chicago area, Abloh trained as an architect but found his calling as a fashion designer. Since then, he has continued to work across disciplines, collaborating with graphic and furniture designers, musicians and contemporary artists as well as others in the fashion industry. In undertaking projects in new fields, he not only influences the conversations within them but also expands their traditional audiences, reaching millions through social media.

Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” offers an unprecedented survey of the artist’s creative work over nearly two decades, pulling back the curtain on his process. Prototypes are presented alongside finished artworks, product designs and fashion to reveal his many sources of inspiration – from a centuries-old painting to commonplace signage at construction sites. Running throughout the exhibition is an emphasis on dialogue, which Abloh created through his inventive use of language and quotation marks, turning the objects he designed and the people who wear his clothing into ‘figures of speech’.

Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” is sponsored by ExxonMobil, Qatar Airways, Astro Automotive Services and Qatar-USA Year of Culture.

Years of Culture Related Products
Virgil Abloh paints while reflecting on his creative practice
Virgil Abloh exhibition poster

Courtesy of The Gymnastics Art Institute & Virgil Abloh Art Studio and Design Practice © 2021 in collaboration with Qatar Museums.

Virgil Abloh, Efflorescence (Bench 1 – Short Bench), 2019.

Virgil Abloh, Efflorescence (Bench 1 – Short Bench), 2019. Graffiti on concrete. Mr. Michel and Mrs. Fati Rosenberg / Galerie kreo. Courtesy of The Gymnastics Art Institute & Virgil Abloh Art Studio and Design Practice ©️ 2021.

Virgil Abloh, “dollar a gallon” II, 2019.

Virgil Abloh, “dollar a gallon” II, 2019. Mixed media. Private Collection. Courtesy of The Gymnastics Art Institute & Virgil Abloh Art Studio and Desi

Virgil Abloh, Gradient Chair, 2019.

Virgil Abloh, Gradient Chair, 2019. Painted metal and chrome. Private Collection. Courtesy of The Gymnastics Art Institute & Virgil Abloh Art Studio and Design Practice ©️ 2021.

Virgil Abloh, Illinois Institute of Technology Master’s Thesis Building, 2003–2019.

Virgil Abloh, Illinois Institute of Technology Master’s Thesis Building, 2003–2019. Foam, plexiglass. Private Collection. Courtesy of The Gymnastics Art Institute & Virgil Abloh Art Studio and Design Practice ©️ 2021.

Virgil Abloh, “PSA”, 2019.

Virgil Abloh, “PSA”, 2019. Nylon. Private Collection. Courtesy of The Gymnastics Art Institute & Virgil Abloh Art Studio and Design Practice ©️ 2021.