Sterling Ruby is an American artist born in 1972 in Bitburg, Germany. He lives and works in Los Angeles. After studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, he developed a multidisciplinary practice combining painting, sculpture, ceramics, collage, textiles, photography, and video.
His work explores social tension, violence, urban culture, prison architecture, and material transformation. Influenced by graffiti, punk culture, and American abstraction, Ruby creates monumental works with intentionally distressed, stained, or damaged surfaces. His spray paintings from the SP series, polyurethane sculptures, and textile works are among his most recognized pieces.
Considered one of the leading artists of his generation, Ruby has exhibited internationally at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Pompidou, and the Tate. He has also collaborated with fashion designer Raf Simons and launched his own clothing label, S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA.