Gagosian is pleased to announce Friends and Legends: The Collection of Michael Chow, a two-part presentation of major works from the collection of Michael Chow. The exhibition of eleven works, from a collection sixty years in the making, debuts at the gallery’s Beverly Hills location from November 4 through 7. Friends and Legends will then travel to New York, where it will be exhibited in Gagosian’s new Madison Avenue gallery from November 14 through December 22, in conjunction with the fall auction season.
Since first opening in Knightsbridge, London, in 1968, followed by locations in Beverly Hills in 1974 and New York in 1979, Michael Chow’s legendary Chinese restaurant, Mr Chow, has been a center of gravity for the contemporary art world. Larry Gagosian noted, “It’s hard to think of a restaurant more synonymous with the art world than Mr Chow. I have hosted parties there for over thirty years, and Michael has been a friend for even longer. He created a unique environment that has been a draw for artists, alongside the fashion and entertainment industries, since he opened. I’m pleased to present works from his collection in two cities where he has been a fixture for decades.”
The exhibition features portraits of Michael Chow by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Peter Blake, Urs Fischer, Keith Haring, David Hockney, Ed Ruscha, Julian Schnabel, and Andy Warhol, reflecting his affinity for artists and the arts. This collection of contemporary portraits—many of which have been displayed at Mr Chow over the years—emerged from his vision to commission individuals who would become some of the most important artists of our time. The care and creativity each artist put into these works affirm the depth of those relationships.
Gagosian