About Theaster Gates

Theaster Gates lives and works in Chicago where he creates work that focuses on space theory and land development, sculpture and performance. In 2010, Gates created the Rebuild Foundation, a non-profit platform aimed at galvanizing communities through neighborhood regeneration and the development of educational and arts programming and amenities. Drawing on his background in urban planning and preservation, Gates is Known for his recirculation of art-world capital, and creates works with a focus on the possibility of the “life within things.” Gates smartly upturns art values, land values, and human values, engaging deeply with the idea of Black space as shaped by collective desire and artistic agency.

Gates has exhibited widely, including prestigious venues such as Palais de Tokyo in Paris and Sprengel Museum in Germany. His awards include the Artes Mundi 6 prize, the Légion d'Honneur, and the Nasher Prize for Sculpture. He is a professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Visual Arts and holds multiple advisory roles, including Director of Artists Initiatives at the Lunder Institute for American Art. Gates continues to influence cultural innovation through his work and teaching. The artist has previously collaborated with Prada on several projects, including Prada Mode Miami in 2018 and Prada Mode London in 2019.