Ian Berry British, b. 1984

Ian Berry (b. 1984) was born in Huddersfield, UK, and lives and works in Poplar, East London. His international presence is unavoidable, having lived in Australia, Sweden and the Netherlands where his practice evolved over time. Berry works exclusively with reclaimed denim. He composes images through tonal variation rather than pigment. What began as an intuitive material exploration gradually evolved into a distinct visual language, and growing recognition for the work led him to dedicate himself fully to his art. His work reflects an ongoing engagement with material, questions of sustainability, and the shifting textures of contemporary urban life and identity.

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Berry’s work can deceive the eye through the trompe l’oeil effect he achieves by layering denim in a wide range of tones and shades. Working exclusively in denim, with no paint ever touching his canvas, his works at first glance can appear to be blue-toned photographs or indigo-hued oil paintings. The ability to recreate reflective surfaces, metallic textures or polished interiors entirely through layered denim is striking in any medium, let alone textile art.

This effect is not limited to online images or printed reproductions, where much of the depth and detail can be lost, but remains even when viewed in person. Even at close range, many viewers do not immediately realise that they are looking at carefully layered pieces of denim.

But the power of Berry’s work goes beyond the novelty of creating art from old jeans. Denim is simply his medium for seeing and interpreting the world - his paint. It is also a material deeply embedded in contemporary culture, carrying its own symbols and contradictions while remaining a universal item of clothing that connects people across the globe. 

His work has explored melancholic urban scenes, often depicting a quieter and less glamorous side of city life. In recent years, his practice has expanded beyond the concrete jungle and into the natural world. Much like denim itself, originating from the cotton plant yet becoming a deeply urban material, Berry’s work operates across multiple contexts and meanings. He describes denim as a fabric with rural origins that has become inherently urban over time. His practice has evolved from traditional wall-based works to site-specific installations, where themes of identity, nature and cultural symbolism continue to emerge through his signature palette of contrasting blue tones.

While he acknowledges that it started out as an experiment, while working with denim he started to realise his own connection with jeans – and especially other people’s.  A material that we feel so comfortable with. It is hard to believe that this all started by one simple observation. Noticing a pile of old jeans and noticing the contrasting shades of blue. Some scissors and glue later he soon became one of the most talked about artists. 

His work has been exhibited all over the world, with notable exhibitions including Material World at Textile Museum of Sweden, Textile Art Redefined at Saatchi Gallery and exhibitions at Weltmuseum Wien. His work has also been shown at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Museo Reina Sofía, 

Berry's work is included in the collection of Centre Pompidou as well as in private collections. Alongside his exhibitions, Berry has completed high-profile commissions and portraits of figures including Debbie Harry, Giorgio Armani, Renzo Rosso and Ayrton Senna and a commissioned denim portrait of Levi Strauss at the Levi Strauss Museum.