A collection of essential quotations from the renowned fashion designer, DJ, and stylist Abloh-isms is a collection of essential quotations from American fashion designer, DJ, and stylist Virgil Abloh, who was a major creative figure in the worlds of pop culture and art. Abloh began his career as Kanye West’s creative director before founding the luxury streetwear label Off-White and becoming artistic director for Louis Vuitton, making Abloh the first American of African descent to hold that title at a French fashion house. Defying categorization, Abloh’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at museums and galleries, most notably in a major retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Gathered from interviews and other sources, this selection of compelling and memorable quotations from the designer reveals his thoughts on a wide range of subjects, including creativity, passion, innovation, race, and what it means to be an artist of his generation. Lively and thought-provoking, these quotes reflect Abloh’s unique perspective as a trailblazer in his fields. Select quotations from the book: “I believe that coincidence is key, but coincidence is energies coming towards each other. You have to be moving to meet it.” “Life is collaboration. Where I think art can be sort of misguided is that it propagates this idea of itself as a solo love affair—one person, one idea, no one else involved.” “Black influence has created a new ecosystem, which can grow and support different types of life that we couldn’t before."

The quotable Ai Weiwei This collection of quotes demonstrates the elegant simplicity of Ai Weiwei's thoughts on key aspects of his art, politics, and life. A master at communicating powerful ideas in astonishingly few words, Ai Weiwei is known for his innovative use of social media to disseminate his views. The short quotations presented here have been carefully selected from articles, tweets, and interviews given by this acclaimed Chinese artist and activist. The book is organized into six categories: freedom of expression; art and activism; government, power, and moral choices; the digital world; history, the historical moment, and the future; and personal reflections. Together, these quotes span some of the most revealing moments of Ai Weiwei's eventful career—from his risky investigation into student deaths in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to his arbitrary arrest in 2011—providing a window into the mind of one of the world's most electrifying and courageous contemporary artists. Select Quotes from the Book: On Freedom of Expression "Say what you need to say plainly, and then take responsibility for it." "A small act is worth a million thoughts." "Liberty is about our rights to question everything." On Art and Activism "Everything is art. Everything is politics." "The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay." "Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it. I don't feel that much anger. I equally have a lot of joy." On Government, Power, and Making Moral Choice "Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country." "I feel powerless all the time, but I regain my energy by making a very small difference that won't cost me much." "Tips on surviving the regime: Respect yourself and speak for others. Do one small thing every day to prove the existence of justice." On the Digital World "Only with the Internet can a peasant I have never met hear my voice and I can learn what's on his mind. A fairy tale has come true." "The Internet is uncontrollable. And if the Internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win. It's as simple as that." "The Internet is the best thing that could have happened to China." On History, the Historical Moment, and the Future "If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future." "We need to get out of the old language." "The world is a sphere, there is no East or West." Personal Reflection "I've never planned any part of my career—except being an artist. And I was pushed into that corner because I thought being an artist was the only way to have a little freedom." "Anyone fighting for freedom does not want to totally lose their freedom." "Expressing oneself is like a drug. I'm so addicted to it."

The essential volume on the great fashion designer, entrepreneur and Louis Vuitton artistic director, back in print This authoritative Virgil Abloh compendium, created by the designer himself, accompanies his acclaimed landmark 2019-23 touring exhibition and offers in-depth analysis of his career and his inspirations. More than a catalog, Figures of Speechis a 500-page user's manual to Abloh's genre-bending work in art, fashion and design. The first section features essays and an interview that examine Abloh's oeuvre through the lenses of contemporary art history, architecture, streetwear, high fashion and race, to provide insight into a prolific and impactful career that cuts across mediums, connecting visual artists, musicians, graphic designers, fashion designers, major brands and architects. The book also contains a massive archive of images culled from Abloh's personal files on major projects, revealing behind-the-scenes snapshots, prototypes, inspirations and more--accompanied by intimate commentary from the artist. Finally, a gorgeous full-color plate section offers a detailed view of Abloh's work across disciplines. Virgil Abloh(1980-2021) was a fashion designer and entrepreneur, and the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's wear collection from 2018 to 2021. He was also CEO of the Milan-based label Off-White, a fashion house he founded in 2013. Born in Rockford, Illinois, to Ghanaian parents, he entered the world of fashion with an internship at Fendi in 2009 alongside rapper Kanye West. The two began an artistic collaboration that would launch Abloh's career with the founding of Off-White. Timemagazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.

"Essential quotations from renowned artist and pop icon Keith Haring"--

A collection of essential quotations and other writings from artist and icon Jean-Michel Basquiat One of the most important artists of the late twentieth century, Jean-Michel Basquiat explored the interplay of words and images throughout his career as a celebrated painter with an instantly recognizable style. In his paintings, notebooks, and interviews, he showed himself to be a powerful and creative writer and speaker as well as image-maker. Basquiat-isms is a collection of essential quotations from this godfather of urban culture. In these brief, compelling, and memorable selections, taken from his interviews as well as his visual and written works, Basquiat writes and speaks about culture, his artistic persona, the art world, artistic influence, race, urban life, and many other subjects. Concise, direct, forceful, poetic, and enigmatic, Basquiat’s words, like his art, continue to resonate. Select quotations from the book: "I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them." "I think there are a lot of people that are neglected in art, I don’t know if it’s because of who made the paintings or what, but, um . . . black people are never really portrayed realistically or I mean not even portrayed in modern art." "Since I was 17, I thought I might be a star." "The more I paint the more I like everything." "I think I make art for myself, but ultimately I think I make it for the world."

Writings on human life and the refugee crisis by the most important political artist of our time Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) is widely known as an artist across media: sculpture, installation, photography, performance, and architecture. He is also one of the world's most important artist-activists and a powerful documentary filmmaker. His work and art call attention to attacks on democracy and free speech, abuses of human rights, and human displacement--often on an epic, international scale. This collection of quotations demonstrates the range of Ai Weiwei's thinking on humanity and mass migration, issues that have occupied him for decades. Selected from articles, interviews, and conversations, Ai Weiwei's words speak to the profound urgency of the global refugee crisis, the resilience and vulnerability of the human condition, and the role of art in providing a voice for the voiceless. Select quotations from the book: "This problem has such a long history, a human history. We are all refugees somehow, somewhere, and at some moment." "Allowing borders to determine your thinking is incompatible with the modern era." "Art is about aesthetics, about morals, about our beliefs in humanity. Without that there is simply no art." "I don't care what all people think. My work belongs to the people who have no voice."

Bringing together all the greats--from Air Jordan 1 to Air Presto--Nike and Virgil Abloh reinvent sneaker culture with the collaborative project The Ten and redesign 10 sneaker icons. Experience engineering ingenuity and Abloh's investigative design process: each shoe is a piece of industrial design, a readymade sculpture, and a wearable all at once.

Lavishly illustrated with over 400 sketches, concept renderings and photographs, this book features Pharrell William's prolific body of work in his unique graphic language, including apparel from his Ice Cream/Billionaire Boys Club clothing Line (which he developed with *A Bathing Ape® founder NIGO®), his jewellery and accessories designs for Louis Vuitton, his furniture designs for Domeau & Pérès, as well as other product design, limited-edition toys; graphic designs, skate graphics and collaborations with Moncler, Marc Jacobs, the artist KAWS, and with architects Zaha Hadid and Masamichi Katayama/Wonderwall. This comprehensive book also explores Pharrell William's musical career in depth, from his role as producer for the Neptunes to the band N.E.R.D, and his collaborations with friends Kanye West, Jay-Z, Snoop Dog and other hip-hop royalty. One of the few artists to successfully weave together his varying talents and interests, Pharrell's unique body of work uses elements of music, fashion, street art and product design to create an industry, with one segment both supporting and inspiring the others. Critical essays lend context and position Pharrell's work within contemporary visual and material culture. With sections examining his design work, his music career, his collaborations and his inspirations, this volume gives readers insight into the synergetic process which has brought the artist such success.

In 1985, Nike released Michael Jordan’s first sneaker, the Air Jordan 1, and sneaker culture was born. Now thousands of people wait in line at Supreme, and companies throw millions of dollars at LeBron James to keep him in their marketing plans. The trend that saw steady growth for decades with the emergence of sports, hip-hop, and sportswear advertising has exploded into a phenomenon. And no one has watched that phenomenon more closely than Complex. Sneaker of the Year explores the past 35 years of sneaker culture with the expertise, authority, and passion that only Complex can offer. With vibrant photographs and illustrations throughout, as well as input from some of the sneaker world’s most important voices, this compilation is a must-have for hypebeasts and sneakerheads everywhere.

Following Rizzoli’s best-selling Pharrell: Places and Spaces I’ve Been, this volume documents the continuing adventures in art and design of one of the most influential figures in contemporary music and popular culture. Lavishly illustrated with 250 photographs and illustrations, this book features Pharrell Williams’s prolific and ever-expanding body of work in a graphic language all his own. Straddling art, design, and hip-hop, Pharrell’s creative output is without peer or precedent. By playing off different disciplines—music, fashion, and contemporary art—Pharrell has redefined the role of the contemporary artist, blazing a trail for other musicians and cultural figures. Expanding on themes covered in Places and Spaces I’ve Been, this book gathers a new group of collaborators. Engaging Pharrell in conversation, talents as diverse as Karl Lagerfeld and Takashi Murakami position Pharrell’s work within contemporary visual and material culture. The worldwide success of the song “Happy” to his soundtrack and production credit for the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures bookend a volume devoted to Pharrell’s mastery of artistic collaboration. Featuring work with artists as diverse as JR, Alex Katz, Mr., and Daniel Arsham, the book highlights recent projects and designs for Chanel, Moncler, Moynat, and Adidas. But at the heart is the visual language that Pharrell has built around his Ice Cream/Billionaire Boys Club clothing line, which integrates streetwear into the design of apparel, accessories, limited-edition toys, and skate graphics. This alone makes the book a must-have collectible.