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.
For its second edition, the exhibition Skateboarding is BLANKable by Decathlon Skateboarding will take place in the heart of Lille, at the Grand Playground. As always, the idea is to entrust each artist with an unshaped (and therefore rectangular) skateboard,…
As Pythagoras said, “The whole air is full of souls, and these souls are called demons and heroes. It is in fact a representation of a demon, or daemon, in Latin that we find on this amphora in the form…
On June 3, 2022, WAWI Gallery presents “Mystic Syncretism”, the group show by Yandy Graffer, Rom av.JC & Maxime Hurdequint. At a time when cultures and traditions are all influencing each other in real time, the three artists develop their…
Found just a few steps from the Martin Luther King Park, in Paris, this series of 3 kylix is entitled: “Kylix Videatur Desuper”. This Latin name means in French, Kylix vue de dessus, which makes sense because these are not…
“Antica Inventi” is the name of the new exhibition of Rom av.JC. Successively to “Climbing Parisii”, this first solo show in the Lyon region is the opportunity to present new and old. In addition to a part of the collection…
It’s alongside artworks by Seen, Fat, Keny, Death NYC and many others that my skateboards have been installed. Indeed, the co-owner of the Culver’s franchise in Bayshore chose to give a strong artistic touch to his restaurants. Passionate about skateboarding,…
On the occasion of my first solo show Climbing Parisii, I made a series of 9 skate-jars with animal heads. This series, entitled “Rhyton”, represents these “horn-shaped drinking vessels, measuring about 25 cm in height, with a bottom opening through…
After a first exhibition in Lyon at Akapico, it’s time to tackle the capital! Through my artistic alter-ego Rom av.JC, I’m going to conquer Paris. “Climbing Parisii” is my very first solo show where I will present a big production…
The last ancient work of Rom av.JC is out of the ground and is called “Madness in Roma”. This new jar, carved in 3 skateboards, has been covered with clay to make it as authentic as possible to the ceramics…
From his studio in Lugdunum (a city now called Lyon, France), Romain Hurdequint aka Rom av.JC sculpts Roman jars from old skateboards. This Kylix, a deep vase used for tasting wine during banquets, is the first one that the artist…
