Sotheby's auctions Virgil Abloh prints for UW-Madison scholarships

Sotheby's is auctioning a rare set of four red screenprints by Virgil Abloh from his 2015 Off-Wisconsin collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where Abloh earned a civil engineering degree in 2003. The complete set, number four of ten, is estimated at $7,000–$10,000 and went on view at Sotheby's New York headquarters in the Breuer building. Bidding opened on July 7. Proceeds benefit the Virgil Abloh Scholarship Fund at UW-Madison, supporting students in design, textile engineering, art, and music. The prints feature lettering similar to Abloh's 2015 redesign of the university's iconic Red Shirt. Abloh, who died in 2021 at 41, was a fashion designer, artist, and DJ who served as Kanye West's creative director and Louis Vuitton menswear artistic director. His widow Shannon Abloh leads the Virgil Abloh Foundation, which also funds scholarships for Black students in the US and at the Royal College of Art in London. Sotheby's senior adviser Simon Shaw noted Abloh's established track record as a printmaker, with examples selling for over $25,000. The foundation's chief creative officer Athiththan Selvendran stated that the scholarships continue Shannon Abloh's mission to open doors for underrepresented young creatives.