Martin Margiela, b. 1957 in Leuven (BE), lives and works in France and Belgium.
Martin Margiela’s visual practice spans a broad range of media, including painting, sculpture, installation, collage and film. His works attest to his fondness for the overlooked and unconventional. Margiela magnifies both disruptions and poetic junctions, seeking beauty in the fleeting. He believes that objects are always in a state of transformation, and he is intrigued by the marks of time. Important sources of inspiration for the artist are the human body, epidermis and hair, as well as the urban environment as an infinite place of wonder. Margiela’s work is dedicated to the unknown and the surprising, in combination with an exceptional sensibility for materials.
Martin Margiela founded Maison Martin Margiela in 1988. Right after the twentieth anniversary of his eponymous brand, Margiela decided to leave the fashion world. Since then, he has devoted himself exclusively to the visual arts. During his career, several art museums exhibited his designs, including Bozar (Brussels), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam), Haus der Kunst (Munich), LACMA (Los Angeles) and Somerset House (London).
Martin Margiela has had solo exhibitions at Lafayette Anticipations (Paris), M WOODS (Beijing) and LOTTE Museum of Art (Seoul).
Martin Margiela joined the gallery in 2021.
● Martin Margiela
Biography
Selected solo exhibitions
Selected group exhibitions
Public collections
K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
LOTTE Museum of Art, Seoul, The Republic of Korea
M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp, Belgium
M WOODS, Beijing, China
MoMu ModeMuseum Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium
Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, The Netherlands
Press
“Between Vanitas and Vanity: on Martin Margiela’s Debut Art Show”
ArtReview, article by Clara Young (online)
March 2022
“Second Act – Martin Margiela changed the course of fashion; Can he now conquer the art world?”
W The Directors Issue, vol.2, article by Christopher Bollen (p.62-65)
March 2022
“Martin Margiela’s art rebirth: obsession, enigma and revelation”
Wallpaper Magazine, article by Amy Serafin
October 2021
“Martin Margiela at Lafayette Anticipations, Paris”
Mousse Magazine (online)
December 2021