Louis Rubi

This fall, Louis Rubi, the creative mind behind LR3, arrives in New York with First Skin / Second Skin. An exhibition that invites visitors to experience the profound beauty of the human body and the deep emotions linked to clothes. In the heart of Chelsea, away from all noise, Louis takes over an art gallery to create his most intimate and personal work to date. A poetic exploration of who we are and who we allow ourselves to be. “This project stands as a counterbalance to our collective numbness,” Rubi says. “I believe the world is overwhelmed by this furious speed and we are all tired of the restrictions that quietly wound us with the weight of self-judgment.” Alongside the exhibition, LR3 will host an immersive Trunk-Show, where visitors can experience the transformation of concept into form.

This project expands on Louis’s ongoing study of identity, vulnerability, and the emotional power of the First Skin (our body) and the Second Skin (the clothes we wear). For seven years, Louis has been using the camera to observe the beauty of the human body in all its forms and how clothing becomes a mirror of the soul. The main exhibition is a photography study of 20 different people captured in a moment of surrender, where their nude bodies are reflected directly into an image of themselves dressed in clothes. Each individual is the center, the heartbeat and the author of their own presence and each individual session became an intimate exchange where the subjects were in command while Louis quietly observed and captured with the camera the instant of truth they created. Further on, the exhibition explores Rubi’s personal journey and the reasons that led him to express himself in this creative and artistic way. “Every element of the exhibition holds the same intention,” says Rubi. “The photos, the installations, the film, and the clothes intend to force you to start a kind conversation between yourself and your presence. A meditation on what it means to feel seen and to wear your truth without apology.