Few contemporary artists have collaborated with as many notable names as Daniel Arsham. The 40-year-old Ohio native, who was recently appointed creative director for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has had his finger on the pulse of street culture for decades and is continually tapped by the world’s most revered brands to apply his signature touches to their products.
Arsham is best known for his “Future Relics” series, in which he reimagines everyday objects as archeological discoveries from a future dystopian world. His work spans multiple disciplines, having caught the eye of everyone from Pharrell and JAY-Z to Ronnie Fieg.
With such an impressive — and ever-growing — roster of collaborators, it can be difficult to narrow down his best projects, but we’ve given it a good shot. Continue reading below for our favorite Daniel Arsham collaborations.
Pokémon
Daniel Arsham’s foray with The Pokémon Company remains ongoing, although he has already released playing cards, Pikachu and Charizard figurines, and a coinciding T-shirt collection with Uniqlo. The latest addition to the collaboration comes in the form of a crystalized Charizard card sculpture.
Dior
Kim Jones tapped Arsham to work on Dior’s SS20 collection, where he gave items his trademark “Future Relics” treatment. Arsham created multiple relics for the collaboration, including objects synonymous with founder Christian Dior. Since then, the NYC-based artist has produced an additional assortment of sculptures for Dior, ranging from a stone basketball to an old-fashioned telephone and a copy of Je Suis Couturier, a Dior book from 1953.
RIMOWA
Similar to other collaborations, Arsham created an eroded object for his foray with RIMOWA, one that reimagined an iconic suitcase from the luggage manufacturer’s archives. The limited-edition sculpture was presented in a contemporary edition of the vintage case that inspired the artwork.
Hajime Sorayama
The signature techniques of Daniel Arsham and Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama came together on their 2019 collaboration. Recognized as part of a joint exhibition between the two, the centerpiece was a sculpture depicting an eroded crystal arm holding hands with a damaged robot arm, thus merging the artists’ respective styles.
Disney
For his Disney collab, Arsham had the pleasure of executing a makeover for one of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time, Mickey Mouse. The project with Disney included multiple collectibles, each dedicated to the instantly-recognizable rodent.
Porsche
The collaboration with Porsche may be Arsham’s most noteworthy joint effort to date. He transformed the 992 by applying his signature erosion technique, although the car remained fully functional. While the custom 992 itself was no doubt impressive, the way in which Arsham debuted the piece was inspired — he drew all over it with a permanent marker.
Kith
Daniel Arsham and Kith founder/owner Ronnie Fieg are known to be good friends, so it’s no surprise that the two industry heavyweights have partnered up on multiple occasions. Years ago, Arsham’s Snarkitecture firm outfitted Fieg’s Kith in Brooklyn with 700 individually cast and hung Air Jordan 2s, giving the retail space a truly unique, decorative aesthetic. Arsham and Fieg also came together in 2017 to release an apparel collection designed for artists.
adidas
Arsham has been fortunate enough to work on multiple adidas sneakers. The standout from their partnership, however, is easily the Futurecraft 4D, which arrived in a tonal “Aero Green” colorway. The shoe was decorated with hidden branding and came packaged in a sealed box with complimentary socks and gloves.
