Photographer Adam Jason Cohen Shares Unseen Images of Virgil Abloh In New Zine
Celebrating the fifth anniversary of Abloh’s landmark “Figures of Speech” exhibit at MCA Chicago.
Photographer Adam Jason Cohen has worked with everyone from Nike to the NBA and Arc’Teryx to adidas — he even recently shot some of Knoll’s Bauhaus icons at the famed Venice Beach Skatepark. His latest project, however is a deeply personal one: a zine full of photos Cohen took of Virgil Abloh in 2019, shortly after the opening of Abloh’s “Figures of Speech” exhibit at MCA Chicago. Dubbed Chicago, 2019, the zine provides a peek behind the curtain during a pivotal point in Abloh’s career, and also serves as a tribute to the city the late creative force loved so much.
“I had been sitting on a small body of work from that time, so I pared it down to a studio visit and portraits,” Cohen mentioned. “So I reworked [the images] and pared [them] down to a studio visit and selection of portraits.” Photos included in the zine show Abloh signing his Clear Art prints and Figures of Speech book, as well as exhibition signage on Chicago’s streets and L train system.
“I feel like there’s still a big hole to fill in the world of creativity, and I think these images sitting on a hard drive is a waste — especially when they could possibly be inspired to do something they’ve been meaning to do,” Cohen says of what drove him to release the zine.
Chicago, 2019 spans 40 pages, measures, 9” x 6” CMYK, is limited to 250 copies and is priced at $20 USD. If you’re looking to secure one, the best thing to do is DM Cohen on Instagram, with a wider release at select shops and via his website potentially forthcoming as well.
