Sneakers / Car Upholstery
Art made from training shoes? Really? Yes, really. This is the speciality of US artist Justin Ruby and it's taking the world by storm. Pennsylvania-born Justin began his experiments while at school in the early 2000s, turning his pair of Air Jordan 7 French Blues into a self-portrait. It was for a college application, but it turned into much more. Justin stuck with the technique, later adding used materials ranging from Louis Vuitton bags to Tootsie Pop Wrappers, to his 'palette'.
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Hoop Dreams
90 x 90 cm, Sneakers
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Ashley
61 x 61cm, Car Upholstery
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Kwame
61 x 61cm, Car Upholstery
Justin's novel approach won him several college offers, but he decided instead to pass up the opportunity and start his professional career right away. In 2019, he landed his first solo exhibition at the gallery in the G-Shock store in Soho, New York. Eventually he garnered national attention. Among his customers were hip hop culture giants such as Lil Durk, J Prince, and Drake.
This has been especially gratifying for Justin, who grew up much more interested in sport and music than in art. But with his chosen method he successfully blended all his passions. He also participated in the boom of NFTs with his sold-out “100 Acre Wood” drop on OpenSea.
Justin Ruby
B.1999
York, Pennsylvania, USA.
Works in
York, Pennsylvania, USA.