12/10/2010

A showcase of Europe’s most exciting young artistic talent in key fashion stores across the continent
Polo Jeans Co. is proud to present ART STARS, a showcase of work by 50 of Europe’s most recognized up and coming contemporary artists. Inspired by the iconic American Star Spangled Banner and synonymous with the Polo Jeans Co. brand, the artists have created 3D pieces on stars made from the finest American denim. These are being displayed in select Polo Jeans Co. corners in key cities across Europe before coming together in an exhibition and auction in London on Tuesday 16th November 2010.

Representing Polo Jeans Co.’s core branding values, each young artist has been challenged to customize a canvas into a three dimensional star using an assortment of unique materials in combination with their practice to create their designs, including a variation of denim, replicas of the American flag, dyes, collage, bleach and embroidery. Beyond the shapes and sizes of the Art Stars, artists are only limited by their own imaginations in transforming the Star and denim into a work of art that symbolizes their vision inspired by Polo.

Polo Jeans Co.’s first two Art Stars in Dubai have been designed by the renowned artists Diya Ajit and UBIK and will be presented at a cocktail on October 12th at Shelter – a first of its kind community workspace that provides a unique infrastructure aimed at nurturing entrepreneurial small businesses as well as the art and music worlds. An intellectual haven for forward thinkers and like-minded creatives to connect and exchange ideas, Shelter offers the ideal environment in which to convert social interaction into successful businesses or inspirational experiences.

Contemporary art and fashion aficionados will have the opportunity to own one of these exclusive Art Stars. All the Stars created will be brought together in an exhibition in London on November 16th and auctioned in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of young people with cancer between the ages of 13-24.  Teenagers don’t stop being teenagers because they have cancer, which is why Teenage Cancer Trust builds specialist units in NHS hospitals, staffed by teenage cancer specialists. These units are designed for and by young people and aim to give teenage cancer patients the very best chance of a positive outcome whilst being as close as possible to normal life. State-of-the-art facilities keep patients occupied during long, and often gruelling stays, whilst bringing teenagers with cancer together so they can support each other. 

Art Stars website: http://artstars.polojeans.com
Teenage Cancer Trust website: www.teenagecancertrust.org

DIYA AJIT
A kind of creative Renaissance Woman, Ajit is the UAE’s go-to girl for live art and advertisement art direction as well as one of the figures on Dubai's urban art scene. Committed to introducing more public art to Dubai’s landscape, she participates in group shows and takes on both private and public commissions to bring street art to the Emirates. Her work is bright, bold and unapologetically feminine.

UBIK
UBIK is a young, Dubai-based artist who has become known as one of the local lights of the underground art scene. His work charts various mediums and is heavily influenced by film, literature, music, street art and existentialist thought. Rather than attempting to badge him under a creative movement, the core of UBIK's work deals with existentialism and absurdism, and the underlying clichés associated with it. He is founder of the guerrilla arts publication ‘Cliche’, described as a ‘low-brow artzine’ and has had solo shows at The Jam Jar, Zayed University and Shelter.

Location: Shelter
Warehouse 209
318 Road
Al Quoz Industrial 4
Dubai

ABOUT POLO RALPH LAUREN
Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 40 years, Polo’s reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company’s brand names, which include “Polo by Ralph Lauren”, “Ralph Lauren Purple Label”, “Ralph Lauren Collection”, “Black Label”, “Blue Label”, “Lauren by Ralph Lauren”, “Polo Jeans Co.”, “RRL”, “RLX”, “Rugby”, “Ralph Lauren Childrenswear”, “American Living”, “Chaps” and "Club Monaco", among others, constitute one of the world’s most widely recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, go to http://investor.ralphlauren.com.

Photos courtesy of: Charney Magri