Rueben is full of energy, enthusiasm and passion when he describes his art. His eyes are lit with a sparkle as he takes us through his latest creations. His persona is captivating. Few people can strongly communicate their ‘brand’ even before they are globally famous and this is the exact position we envision Reuben to reach. Born in London, Reuben originally began painting and drawing in search of an identity outside of Orthodox Judaism. In 2008, aged 19, he launched his first debut solo show at Beach Blanket Babylon, Nothing Hill. Ten years later, the artist moved to New York City to carry on his exploration of the young arts scene. In the next few years he had numerous exhibitions in New York City’s famous art districts of Chelsea and Tribeca and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Video at the School of Visual Arts NY.

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Where does your inspiration come from and what kind of materials do you use?

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“I have always been a big fan of movies.
Life is like a movie, we have conflicts as
well as good times. The main objective
is to create a dialogue between my work
and the audience. When one questions
why they like or dislike something,
they begin to understand their own
story. It is these answers that allow us
to understand who we truly are. I work with an array of materials from oil paints to acrylics, cement to fiberglass and etchings to lithographs. Each material is only a tool for one to express themselves. The more materials an artist is equipped with, the greater vocabulary the artist has. In my New York ‘Most Wanted Show’ at Andy Warhol’s last studio - Soho Arts Club, I showcased thirty large-scale paintings, ten paper works and a larger than life sculpture of my face.”

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What are the key messages of your creations and how do people respond to them? 

 

“My message changes with every show and every painting. Why have the same conversation twice? In the Display London show, I was approached by an ultra-Orthodox Jew who reacted to a work about Moses; at the same time another woman placed three Botox bottles on top of a work called Botox. People react to what speaks to their own story. The power of art only really happens when a dialogue takes place. Without the audience a painting is just a splash of colour on a piece of rag canvas.”

 

Have you always wanted to be an Artist?

 

 “I don’t think I ever wanted to be an artist; I just had never wanted to do anything else.”

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Do you aim to combine music and film in your creations?

 

 “I received a Bachelors of Arts at The School of Visual Arts in film and video. I have been making music as long as I have been painting. My aim is to eventually bring all these creative mediums together to have a dialog using as many senses as humanly possible.

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Who has purchased your work over the years? 

 

“My works are in the collections of: Chin Chu, the Senior Managing Director and Co-Chairman of The Blackstone Group; Justin Bieber’s music producer Scooter Braun; filmmaker Marc Forster and others. Prices range between £500 to several thousands.”

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In recent years several avant-garde artists have surfaced the art world and taken it by storm. Damien Hirst’s ‘For the Love of God’ diamond-encrusted skull sold for £50m whilst Banksy’s ‘Keep it Spotless’ graffiti fetched £1.5m at Sotheby’s.  Reuben’s pieces are fresh, diverse and unique. However we think that the real centrepiece is actually the man behind them.

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For more information please visit: davidkingreuben.com