MSCHF Cofounder Lukas Bentel Leaves the Art Collective to Work Solo

Lukas Bentel is leaving MSCHF, the art collective he helped build, to pursue solo work. He announced the departure in a formal press release, ArtNews reported on 28 October 2026.

MSCHF was founded in 2019. The New Museum in New York describes it as a conceptual art collective and brand that works in fashion, art and technology, often through projects that step into everyday life. Bentel is the group's founding chief creative officer, the senior role responsible for its creative direction.

The press release credits him with conceiving, designing, creating or directing nearly 300 released works at MSCHF. They range from sculpture and footwear to fashion, software, publishing, furniture and vehicles.

In his statement, Bentel said he wants to get back to making art that stays with people long after the moment has passed. He has said he plans to take on solo art projects, along with commissioned design and commercial work. Artnet News also reported that he intends to keep working on collaborations. Artnet's report noted that he had been working on MSCHF's Severed Spots project.

MSCHF's public track record includes a run of shows in 2024. The collective staged three exhibitions with the Perrotin gallery, in Seoul, Los Angeles and New York. The publisher Phaidon also released a book, Made by MSCHF, which covers the group's first six years.

Bentel marked his exit on social media. In an Instagram post, he shared a photo from his last day at the company. He held up what he called "technically the first MSCHF product ever."

For anyone who has bought a pair of MSCHF's sneakers or stood in front of one of its sculptures, the change is a shift in who is steering the work. For Bentel, it is a return to making things under his own name, with his own schedule. What comes next for the collective has not been detailed in the announcement.