Virgil Abloh, Figures of Speech

Figures of Speech, an exhibition devoted to the work of the late Virgil Abloh, opened at the Brooklyn Museum earlier this month. The show was conceived by Abloh, but the tragedy of his death has transformed the show from a retrospective to an iconic celebration. Notably, the Brooklyn iteration of the show is bookended by two works of architecture.The first is a blue foam model of Chicago that formed part of his architecture thesis at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The second work, Social Sculpture, is unique to the posthumous show. The full-scale wooden house was designed by Abloh in the legacy of “negritude architecture,” a term coined by David Hammons to evoke a uniquely Black way of building and making.

Figures of Speech represents a diversity of work that’s unique within the design industry, and its radical inclusion of Social Sculpture not only redefines architecture, but expresses Abloh’s commitment to creating spaces for Black artists. The show solidifies Abloh’s legacy toward connecting the fast-paced worlds of fashion and music in authentic, layered ways to his expertise in architecture and design.