WE BELIEVE extraordinary art can begin with what others leave behind.

in rags to riches, artist Luke Haynes transforms discarded clothing and bed sheets collected from New Yorkers into a monumental quilt depicting Kanye West and Jay-Z. familiar materials become portraits of fame and fortune, giving the work’s title a literal meaning.

white sheets, blue jeans and black dress clothes form the composition, each carrying traces of an earlier life. metallic quilting thread adds a subtle shimmer up close, connecting the humble materials to the wealth and celebrity of its subjects.

constructed with one million quilting stitches, this 90-inch-square textile work rewards both distance and proximity: a commanding portrait across the room, an intricate study of material and labour within reach.

artist: Luke Haynes
medium: reclaimed textiles and metallic quilting thread
dimensions: 90″w × 90″h