British multidisciplinary artist Benjamin Shine creates spectacular realistic “paintings” using single pieces of tulle. Equipped with just a clothing iron he is proving that fashion doesn’t have to be anything other than radiant and enchanting, regardless of being wearable or not. The winner of the Red Dot Design, The Enterprising Young Brit, and The Courvoisier Future 500 Art & Design awards utilizes the transparent qualities of the tulle fabric to give his portraits more depth and texture focusing on the ideas of energy, impermanence and the fleeting moment.
Deeply influenced by his family’s long tradition in the clothing business, the London-born artist studied fashion design at The Surrey Institute of Art and Design and Central Saint Martins in London. In 2003 he founded his creative studio, and in 2004 he won the Enterprising Young Brit award for Skoody – an innovative hoodie that combined a scarf and a bag. “This recent technique with the tulle- I say recent, but I invented it in 2008 or 2009– has developed beyond an invention or technique, really delving into how the medium can evoke more emotional concepts,” Shine explains about the development of his unique artistic technique. “I’ve really enjoyed doing that, and the fact that it has brought me back to where it started, back to fashion, is quite ironic but very satisfying too,” he shares.
Shine’s creativity, intellectual curiosity, and eclectic vision have been truly inspiring to the people who work close to him. Many of his works of art have been displayed in international Arts and Design institutions, such as The London Design Museum, The New York Museum of Arts and Design, and The British Crafts Council, while his client list includes Maison Margiela, Bergdorf Goodman, Google, Coca-Cola, MTV, Eurostar, Givenchy, Barclays Wealth, Deutsche Bank, Harrods, and others.
