Rom av.JC

Rom av.JC is a French artist who creates works from broken skateboards. His slightly facetious concept is to show that skateboarding could have existed during the Roman Empire. Gladiaskateurs, skateturions, skate gods, he invents and depicts in his work a whole universe of gladiatorial races and protective deities for skateboarders.

The origins of Rom av.JC

From his workshop in Cabillonum (Chalon-sur-Saône), Rom takes old skateboards. He cuts, sands and assembles them to form wall-mounted amphoras. Then, armed with acrylic paint and sometimes clay, he creates these works.

Like the ceramics of the Greco-Roman era, the used skateboard is marked by its time. If the temporality is far from the same, the bruises are similar. Broken, hammered, completely reduced to pieces, end-of-life skateboards are like the vases that resurface hundreds of years later: imperfect, but steeped in history.

Rom av.JC seeks to care for what’s left of the skateboard in the same way as the famous Japanese technique of wabi-sabi. It involves recognizing beauty in its imperfections. It’s about restoring the board without masking the traces left by its use, but rewriting its history. The abused skateboard is ennobled, taking on a new life… antique.

The evolution of his skate art

Since 2022, the artist has been exhibiting in museums. After a first exhibition at the Musée de la Céramique in Lezoux, Rom av.JC was invited to exhibit his art at the Beaux-Arts museums in Beaune and Lyon, and at the Vesunna museum, the Gallo-Roman museum in Périgueux.

On the brand side, he has collaborated on skateboard series with beverage brands such as Brewdog and Club Maté. On the skateshop front, French skateshops Street Art in Thonon les Bains and ABS in Lyon have already put their trust in him.

However, his art is no longer limited to creating skateboard murals. In fact, he carves the boards to create real sculptures. To find out more about his art, check out his Instagram account or his website romavjc.com.