Virginia Museum of Fine Arts adds Ice Cube sculpture to permanent collection

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond has added ‘Roundel with Boy from the Hood’ to its permanent collection. The ceramic sculpture, created by Philadelphia-based artist and poet Roberto Lugo, depicts rapper Ice Cube in his iconic N.W.A. era aesthetic, featuring a black Compton snapback and black shirt.

Lugo’s work reimagines the classical Italian Renaissance roundel tradition, drawing inspiration from the Della Robbia family’s ceramic style. By replacing traditional European subjects with a hip-hop icon, the piece bridges centuries-old museum traditions with modern cultural history.

Alisa Chiles, the museum’s curator of decorative arts, noted that Ice Cube’s image from the late 1980s has become iconic, representing the era when hip-hop emerged as a significant political and social force in American culture through its commentary on racism, poverty, and police brutality.