Moroccan-Dutch designer and artist Mohamed Benchellal has unveiled his latest exhibition in Tashkent, where “BENCHELLAL, MONUMENTAL | Sculpting the Past, Creating the Future” opened on September 5 at the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan.
The exhibition brings together works that blur the boundaries between fashion, sculpture and architecture, continuing Benchellal’s distinctive approach of turning clothing into an art form.
The collection was created during the artist’s 2025 residency in Tashkent and draws directly on Uzbekistan’s architectural and cultural heritage. Geometric forms, historical imagery, and architectural motifs serve as the basis for the sculptural pieces.
A winner of the Vogue Fashion Prize and Fashion Trust Arabia, Benchellal has already made his mark with large-scale exhibitions. In late 2024, he presented “Sculpting Past Tomorrow,” his first solo museum exhibition, at the National Museum of Qatar from November 1, 2024 to January 18, 2025, as part of the Qatar-Morocco Year of Culture.
The exhibition featured a collection of haute couture dresses created during his artistic residency at Liwan Design Studios and Labs. Inspired by Qatar’s landscapes, the pieces were displayed alongside the country’s architectural landmarks. Curator Al Shaima Ayoub described the exhibition at the time as a significant milestone for Arab fashion and its diaspora.
Born in the Netherlands to Moroccan parents, Mohamed Benchellal grew up in the textile world before studying at Amsterdam Fashion Academy and launching his own label in 2015.
Known for his exceptional draping techniques and use of sustainable materials, he has dressed figures including Sharon Stone, Billy Porter, Alicia Keys, Iris Apfel and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.
In 2021, he received Fashion Trust Arabia’s Eveningwear Prize from Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in Doha, an achievement that paved the way for his solo exhibition in Qatar three years later.
