Aesop | Nasher Sculpture Prize

The Nasher Sculpture Prize is one of the most significant awards in the world dedicated exclusively to contemporary sculpture, presented annually to a living artist whose work challenges the understanding of the art form itself. In 2018, the Nasher Prize Laureate was Theaster Gates, whose remarkable work does just that. He reconsiders the status of object-making and expands the definition of sculpture to include space, place, and people’s interactions with it.

In support of Nasher and Theaster Gates, Aesop created a printed piece honouring the nature of his work to be handed out with product at prize-related events. Since many of Gates’ works involve some degree of architectural intervention, we reimagined a notable piece of Aesop collateral—our City Guide paper bags—using the locations of his works. As the guide must have an entry for each letter of the alphabet, this small printed gesture captured the expanse of Gates’ oeuvre.