Athi-Patra Ruga hopes to mesmerise passers-by when they look at his tapestry display for Louis Vuitton on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, writes Sandiso Ngubane.
Luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton often conflates the worlds of art and fashion – a tradition that goes back almost a century. Marc Jacobs, the brand’s former creative director who has now been replaced by Nicolas Ghesquiere, thrived on this tradition, often commissioning well-known artists to build spectacular sets for his runway shows.
At the brand’s flagship Champs-Elysées store in Paris, which sets the tone for the brand’s global image, the work of artist Athi-Patra Ruga will soon become one of the reasons for passers-by to linger.
The 30-year-old Ruga, who was born in the Eastern Cape, is the first artist from the African continent to have been commissioned to create original artwork for a window of the store on one of the world’s most famous streets.
Having just returned from a trip to Paris to meet with the brand’s head honchos, Ruga is now back at his Cape Town studio working on the 4x4m tapestry he says will be shipped to Paris for display later this year. Those who are familiar with the artist’s work will know that he, like the brand, has often merged art and fashion through his arresting performances.
This is something that can perhaps be traced back to Ruga’s fashion school education when the evolution of his many eccentric ideas began.
Ruga had recently been a finalist in the Elle New Talent competition, which pitted young fashion designers against each other. Although he was short-listed twice, in 2004 and in 2005, neither of his entries won him the prize. But what he designed then became part of the initial stages of his interventions as a performance artist. This occurred in the context of a Braamfontein that was a far cry from its current incarnation as a hipster haven.
“I would go to these places. These places that come with stories and stereotypes like: ‘I don’t want to go there because it’s too dangerous,’” Ruga says. The club scene in Braamfontein sparked his interest in the human body in relation to society, culture and expression.
“It was on the precipice of what I now call the ‘youth revolution’, with kwaito and the emergence of Afro-chic,” he says. “There was this very DIY, claim-your-identity spirit going on and the club kids were using tick-tacky, boutique floor bits to make their outfits. You’d get to Rissik Street and find these mounds of old clothing. You’d take from them and cut things up to make something new. You’d take the utility that is expected of clothes and make something out of it that speaks to a new identity.”
It was then that Ruga became interested in the power of costume and its ability to shift perception.
Although he is still at the very beginning of constructing the idea for the giant tapestry destined for the Louis Vuitton Champs-Elysées window, Ruga will be exploring further and seeking to depict the empirical scene initiated by his exploration of the Azania saga.
Ruga’s work will also be exhibited at the Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton, a space on the top floor of the Champs-Elysees store created with the aim of promoting emerging artistic talent from all over the world.
See full story by Sandiso Ngubane via Mail & Guardian
