Erika Iris Simmons

Erika Iris Simmons is an American artist who turns old junk into something beautiful. She uses cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and film reels you know the stuff everyone threw away. Then she transforms those obsolete media into captivating portraits of cultural icons like Jimi Hendrix or Marilyn Monroe. It’s not just crafty, it’s a kind of recycling with soul. You can see her work on her official website or read about her process on My Modern Met.

She meticulous creates each portrait by hand, weaving and layering magnetic tape into faces that seem to glow. The material carries nostalgia, reminds us of mixtapes and late night recordings. But her art also makes you think about consumerism and how fast we discard things. One of her best known peices is a portrait of Prince made from purple cassette tape. It’s stunning. Colossal has a great feature on her work.

What I love is how she gives new life to forgotten objects. A broken VHS becomes David Bowie’s eye, a tangled cassette becomes Amy Winehouse’s beehive. Her mixed media art sparks reflection on cultural memory, the things we hold onto and the things we let go. She’s based in Atlanta Georgia and her work has shown in galleries worldwide. For more check out her Saatchi Art profile.