Virgil Abloh was a larger-than-life figure in the worlds of art and fashion, and to commemorate the generational designer, a new massive mural has been unveiled in his hometown of Chicago, Fox 23 Chicago reports.
Created by fellow Chicago-bred artist Rahmaan Statik, the 15 x 30ft graffiti mural of Abloh made from only spray paint is now gracing the interior northwest stairwell of Chicago’s Time out Market. Statik took to Instagram to share his work and a few words about Abloh’s life and legacy.
Dubbing this one “VIRGIL ABLOH ‘WILD STYLE’ GRAFFITI TRIBUTE MURAL,” Statik included videos of the mural, which can be seen through several staircases, and a panel discussion in which he talks about Abloh. Statik is a renowned visual artist in the city of Chicago who is responsible for the creation of many murals and street art pieces, including ones of MF DOOM, Prince, and more across the local area.
When touching on how influential the late designer was to Fox 23 Chicago, Statik said that he’s deeply saddened that Abloh is gone now.
“I’m deeply affected when I see any fallen peer artist within my age group that I feel like their career was kinda cut short,” the artist said. “The world will miss what else he had to offer as a creative individual.”
Levar Hoard of B_Line Projects, who oversaw the project, also touched on how important Virgil was to his community, and how he was someone who never forgot about his roots in Chicago.
“Virgil was also somebody who reached back into the community all the way up to his last days,” Hoard added. “He was communicating with people. Direct messaging them. Texting them.”
The new mural of Abloh will remain in all its glory in Chicago’s Time Out Market from now on, adding to the collection of tributes to the late designer like the monument that was created for his last Louis Vuitton fashion show in Miami in November.
