Born on an American air force base in Germany, contemporary artist Sterling Ruby studied with artists Richard Hawkins and Mike Kelley in his college years. Working with a wide range of materials and influences, including glossy polyurethane sculptures, drawings, collages, richly glazed ceramics, graffiti-inspired spray paintings, and video, Ruby engages with intersections of social violence, autobiography and art history.  His practice fluctuates between formal abstraction and fluid expression, employing both obscure and traditional techniques and materials. Often referred to as “post-humanist,” Ruby’s work is often centered around a controversial social or political issue, such as his SUPERMAX 2008 series shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. This work references the architecture and practices of American maximum-security prisons with dripping polyurethane, soft sculpture, collage and installation. Playing on the tension between painterly elements and raw materials, Ruby’s work is a transformative expression of philosophical enquiry.

Solo exhibitions include The Drawing Center, New York, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bergamo, Italy, Centre D’Art Contemporain, Geneva, FRAC Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Rome, Fondazione MEMMO, Rome, Kunsthalle Mainz, Germany, Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Ghent and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Ruby’s work was also included in the 2014 Whitney Biennial.