Image via Complex Original
If you follow Pharrell's career at all, you know he cares about aesthetics. He knows how to dress, he knows how to make a song appeal to all the senses, and he's a lover of art and design. In true Renaissance Man fashion, he doesn't just admire the work of great visual artists and designers, he dabbles in many mediums himself. Over the years, he's created sculptures, designed furniture, and done building planning, while also creating platforms for other artists to make and share their work.
In anticipation of "G I R L," the exhibition Pharrell has curated at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin's new location in Paris, which opens tomorrow, May 27, we've gathered The 20 Coolest Things Pharrell Has Done in Art and Design.
In 2008, he teamed up with Chad Oppenheim to create The Pharrell Williams Resource Center in his hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Year: 2008
The center, which is still in-progress, aims to inspire the children of Pharrell's hometown. He says, "I believe the architecture of a building says a lot about its soul, and I wanted a building for the center that makes a statement to the world and the kids—something that will stand as a monument of optimism and felt Chad was the only architect who could capture that."
He collaborated with Takashi Murakami on a sculpture that supposedly sold for $2 million.
Year: 2008
The statue, titled Simple Things, is a crazy amalgamation of items including steel, acrylic, wood, fiberglass, a Heinz ketchup bottle, a bag of Doritos, and various gemstones.
He was commissioned by Domeau & Pérès to design a "Perspective Chair" that has feet.
Year: 2008
Pharrell's "Perspective" chairs are said to portray the love between a man and woman. They come in four different colors.
He also designed the "Tank Chair," which launched at Art Basel Miami Beach 2009 at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin.
Year: 2009
The chair is Pharrell's second installment in his Perspective series, which aims to provoke thought about issues that often seem removed from our lives. The "Tank Chair", in particular, is a critique of war.
He partnered with Tyson Toussant on Bionic Yarn, which is a high-performance eco-thread.
Year: 2011
Sustainable textile company Bionic Yarn recycles plastic waste to make jeans, bags, and more. Pharrell has been an ambassador at the company and says, "If you build smart and shop smart, you're living smart. It's Bionic."
He founded the i am OTHER platform.
Year: 2012 - present
Many celebrities and creatives dabble in multiple projects, and Pharrell is no exception. He founded i am OTHER as an umbrella for all of his ventures and a provider for the artists and creators whose work he supports. Through i am OTHER, he also manages his clothing line, a textile company, a YouTube channel, and a record label.
He released a book with Rizzoli titled Pharrell: The Places and Spaces I've Been, which shows his endeavors in the arts and interviews with top creatives.
Year: 2012
Pharrell's autobiographical book catalogs his contributions to popular culture and explores his personal motivations and influences. In it, he also talks with Jay Z, Kanye West, BAPE founder Nigo, Zaha Hadid, and Buzz Aldrin.
He told Hypebeast that he's collaborating with Zaha Hadid on an idea for a prefab house.
Year: 2013
No stranger to exploring any creative medium he takes interest in, Pharrell has hinted at going deeper into architecture. In an interview with Hypebeast, he said, "There's a collaboration I'm working on with Zaha Hadid. We're touring around with the idea of a prefab for a house." Let's hope this comes to fruition soon.
Pharrell and Daniel Arsham collaborated on a sculpture of the first keyboard Pharrell ever made music with.
Year: 2013
Last year, Daniel Arsham and Pharrell created four sculptures of the Casio MT-500, the first keyboard he ever made music on. The duo has collaborated again more recently on a yet-to-be-fully-seen full-body cast of Pharrell for his upcoming "G I R L" exhibition at Galerie Perrotin.
He's collaborated with numerous visual artists for his clothing brand, Billionaire Boys Club, including Michael Kagan.
Year: 2013
Pharrell's clothing line, Billionaire Boys Club, has participated in many collaborations with visual artists. Recently, he released T-shirts and sweatshirts with abstract painter Michael Kagan.
He interviewed Jeff Koons for Reserve Channel's ARTST TLK series.
Year: 2013
They spoke about Koons' development as an artist, the destruction of his art after his divorce, and about his wild success in the art world.
He remixed the theme song for Takashi Murakami's "Jellyfish Eyes" and stars as an anime character in its video.
Year: 2014
Pharrell's second collaboration with Takashi Murakami happened earlier this month, when he remixed the theme song for Murakami's film, Jellyfish Eyes. Murakami created a video for the remix, where Pharrell appears as an anime character. The film is showing at select U.S. theaters through June 5.
He recently redesigned Kartell's "Bourgie Lamp" to include a human arm.
Year: 2014
Pharrell says he chose the arm to "represent the will of mankind in the daily plight of escaping the 'shade' and the challenges of attempting to get closer to enlightenment...Illumination was meant to vanquish the 'shade.' The light will forever prevail."
He was one of KAWS' earlier art collectors, and the artist is apparently designing the bottle for Pharrell's forthcoming perfume.
Year: 2014
It was first an album, then it became an exhibition, and soon it will be a perfume. As stated in the press release for Pharrell's "G I R L" exhibition, there will soon also be a fragrance of the same name, and KAWS is designing the bottle. Pharrell is one of KAWS' earliest collectors and attends many of his exhibition openings.
He started an eBay charity auction with art donated by Farhad Moshiri, Takashi Murakami, Sophie Calle, and Paola Pivi, plus a studio visit with JR.
Year: 2014
Proceeds from the auction will go to FromOneHandToAnOTHER, which Pharrell set up to help provide underprivileged children with educational tools. Among the items for sale is his infamous Vivienne Westwood hat he debuted at the Grammys, in addition to work donated by many of today's most talented, successful visual artists.
Pharrell and JR have hinted at an upcoming "video project" collaboration in the works.
Year: 2013 - 2014
So far, the collaborative duo have only teased the public with vague hints of the project via Twitter and Instagram. They haven't released any official details, although eight months ago JR said, "We are a step more into our project. Pharrell did his magic, now I have to work harder and harder on this piece."
He is the keynote speaker at the AIA National Convention this summer.
Year: 2014
Along with Theaster Gates and Jeanne Gang, Pharrell Williams will drop some wisdom at the national architecture convention this year. The AIA National Convention will take place from June 26 to 28 in Chicago.
He is on the cover for W's first ever W Art, designed by artist Urs Fischer.
Year: 2014
He also appears inside the issue in a painting by Alex Katz and in a cartoon by Mr.
He did an interview with FriendsWithYou for their Rizzoli monograph.
Year: 2014
We Are FriendsWithYou is an autobiographical exploration of the art world written by Sam & Tury, the duo comprising FriendsWithYou. Their mission statement is to spread Magic, Luck, and Friendship and this monograph is the latest in their efforts to do so. Pharrell's glowing, highly complimentary contribution is one among others from Alejandro Jodorowsky and Peter Doroshenko.
He's curated an exhibition at Galerie Perrotin titled "G I R L."
Year: 2014
The exhibition will take place at Galerie Perrotin's new space in Paris and will feature works by 34 artists (16 are women) including Marina Abramovic, Valérie Belin, Sophie Calle, Tracey Emin, Guerrilla Girls, and Cindy Sherman. Pharrell has dedicated it to "strong, free women," and many of the pieces, including those by Daniel Arsham, Rob Pruitt, and Takashi Murakami, are tributes to Pharrell and his career. It opens May 27 and closes June 5.