Ruby Chavez: Flexing all them Muscles

From creating custom shoe designs for herself, she and a friend then started a business where she wore those custom painted sneakers to the mall, created FOMO, and ended up being tapped to create a hundred pairs for local musicians. From ideation to creation Ruby Chavez knows how to get it done – profitably.

I was introduced to Chavez’ work when I first started following ARTiculate ATL in 2020 during the pandemic. That year they hosted their annual show online. Since then, seeing Chavez exhibit her artwork has proven a perennial delight. 

Chavez comes from folks that are also good with their hands, from masonry, to crocheting, to nail art, and music. With that much diversity of talent, it is no wonder she is so good at so many different things.  She says, “My mom and my dad are able to make something out of nothing and I love their ability to just continue to build and make things.” Then she shared that her brother was the first “artist” in the household. “He is not fond of showing in galleries, but he keeps himself busy with his own creations and I absolutely love that he does that.”  Again, I will say that though you see one Creative, you can trace back and find the ‘golden thread’ of creativity and talent throughout their family.  

Chavez attributes being successful in so many creative mediums to the reality that she gets bored with one thing and/or curious about another, and that the migration just naturally occurs from graphic design, to screenprinting, and now to creative direction for music and film. “I love to create, so whenever I have the opportunity to step into a different lane, I feel like I come refreshed and ready to hone those skill sets”, says Chavez. She confessed that she enjoys the challenge of figuring out how to work with different materials, learning what products work best with other things, and discovering.

Chavez completed a commission in 2022 for ARTiculate ATL in celebration of some amazing local artists, including Susan Ross, Kevin Williams, and Miya Bailey on denim jackets. And last year with Bankhead Seafood to bring some new life and color to a neighborhood favorite. And now, working with musician, Renegade El Rey, from Stankonia Studios in Atlanta, Chavez will be assisting with creative direction and production. 

Autobiographies are written about celebrities because they are aspirational, but novels are written about the every-man because they are relatable. And though Chavez has done her fair share of celebrity portraits, it is her ability to capture the everyday man and woman in positions of strength and trial that is mesmerizing. The common thread in her art, as she sees it, is storytelling. Chavez is not afraid to center Black and Brown figures with bold colors and political points of view. Her work speaks to this time and what it means to exist now. The strength and vulnerability of her images underscore the dynamic humanity that exists in all of us but is rarely acknowledged for the average Joe. 

My opinion is that Ruby Chavez WILL be a big name. She is one to watch. She has the capacity to affect a multitude of arenas like Basquiat or Lin Manuel-Miranda, Grace Jones or Missy Elliott. And though her manner is quiet and calm, her impact will be immense. She is gifted, motivated, and blessed – the blow-up is imminent. Artist Kevin “WAK” Williams aptly described Chavez like this, “Ruby’s so docile, but she’s really a BEAST”.

You can follow Ruby Chavez on socials (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok) and acquire some of her art through her website.