If you open your closet, you will probably find at least a few denim clothes whether it be a pair of old blue jeans or a vintage denim jacket that you are so in love with. Now imagine what it can become when it's too old or no longer fits you. A beautiful backpack? A pair of shorts that you will still probably not wear? Or will you just throw it away since you don't have time to do anything with it?
It turns out that you can actually use it as an art medium and Ian Berry is one of the most well-known artists to master this craft. The British contemporary artist creates monochromatic portraits of famous people, urbanscapes, and other unique works using old and unwanted jackets, jeans, and other denim clothing. Before, he even called himself Denium, the Japanese phonetic spelling of denim, to show his never-ending love for denim!
His unique art is made by cutting pieces of denim into precise shapes and then gluing them all together. Berry uses different denim colors and sometimes even bleaches them to produce different effects making his work of art more realistic and melancholic. His works resemble oil paintings and it's actually really hard to tell the difference even if you come close to his celebrity portraits.
“It is simply his medium for seeing the world, his paint, and what material to use in this modern world; with all its symbols and dualities as well as being such a common item of clothing that unites many around the globe” - is written on his website explaining his love for denim.
