We recently stumbled upon the picture above and instantly needed to find out who, what, where and how it came about. It didn’t take long to find several articles, images and sites giving praise to the Chicago-based contemporary artist, Dzine.

Dzine is known for his colorful, jewel-dripping galleries, showcasing his embellished paintings and customized vehicles. Drawing inspiration from his relationship with music, fashion and popular culture, which Dzine refers to as “Kustom Kulture”, his talent of taking an original, everyday object and adorning it into a valued piece of artwork is undeniable. His latest exploration is customized nail art, which he first displayed at art galleries Salon 94 and New Museum by setting up a mobile nail salon called Imperial Nails, so that regular gallery visitors could witness first hand the Dzine experience.

Dzine also just released the book, Nailed: The History of Nail Culture and Dzine through Standard Press, the publishing imprint of The Standard Hotels. The book explores the history of nail art around the world and celebrates how it was once an underground movement and has evolved into a culture and contemporary art form. The illustrations are simply beyond words.

Nailed: The History of Nail Culture and Dzine ($45 USD) can be purchased here and more information on Dzine and his artwork can be found on his website.