Artist Handcrafts Stunning "Secret Garden" from Recycled Denim

Artist Transforms Recycled Denim Into Stunning “Secret Garden” Installation

By Emma Taggart on July 25, 2024

Photo: Sam Hockley

For many, denim is a wardrobe staple, but for London-based artist Ian Berry, it’s a creative medium. For the last two decades, Berry has used the navy blue fabric to create intricate installations, iconic portraits, and even photorealistic depictions of California. And his latest creation continues to reveal the unexpected and innovative ways denim can be used. Titled Secret Garden and currently on display at the Garden Museum in London, this work reimagines a serene setting with a fish pond, flowers, and vines—all crafted from recycled denim jeans.

The Secret Garden installation was first exhibited at the Children's Museum of the Arts in New York in 2017 and has since been displayed in various site-specific locations and galleries worldwide. Originally designed for a young audience, Berry aimed to inspire children to reflect on our interaction with nature.

“The idea came from thinking many kids don't have their own gardens and thinking of community gardens nestled away in between buildings and trying to inspire them to seek them out,” Berry tells My Modern Met. “It also gave the opportunity to talk about sustainability as well as helping young minds think about where things come from.” The artist even showed the kids a cotton plant to explain where jeans come from. “It was amazing to see so many baffled at the idea,” he recalls. “It enabled educators to talk about how the installation was plants turned to pants, then back to plants again.”

While the most recent Secret Garden installation isn't specifically designed for children, it still evokes a childlike sense of wonder. Visitors can walk through the denim garden path and find wisteria and vines dangling above them. Various plants and flowers are depicted in shades of indigo, including roses, alocasias, begonias, and cacti. There’s even a peaceful pond at the heart of the garden, featuring denim Koi fish, lily pads, and a central water feature. Every area of the garden showcases such an impressive level of detail that it's easy to forget the entire installation is handmade from denim.

The Secret Garden will be on display from July 13 to September 8, 2024, at the Garden Museum. A complementary program of activities and workshops inspired by the installation will be offered free of charge, catering to all ages. These include textile flower collages, denim rag rugs, clay and felt cacti making, and cyanotype printing.

Check out some photos of the Secret Garden installation below and find more of Berry's work on his website.