For many football fans, shirts go beyond just representing their club or country—they embody identity and loyalty to a "tribe." When combined with an artist's vision, these shirts become more than just sportswear; they transform into works of art that deepen emotional connections.
One artist embracing this concept is Christian Jeffery. A former designer at a major sports brand, Christian is now an artist whose work has garnered attention through his residency at London’s Oof Gallery. From gallery visitors to Instagram followers, his creations have made quite an impact.
We caught up with Christian to explore the origins of his creative journey, his love for football, and of course, his passion for football shirts.
Cult Kits: First things first, who do you support?
Christian Jeffery: I was born in Australia and raised in England. My dad's from Bristol and my mum’s from Sydney, so naturally, I ended up a Manchester United fan. But my love for the game goes beyond just one team. I’m fascinated by different clubs, jerseys, and their stories, and that definitely comes through in my work. Sticking to just one team would be limiting.
CK: What’s your earliest football memory?
CJ: One of my favorite early memories has to be watching the 1999 Champions League final with my dad and his friends. Everyone was jumping and shouting—someone even spilled their drink! I don’t think my mum was too happy about that, but it was a great game. Beckham also happened to be wearing my favorite boots of all time that night.
CK: How did you start creating hand-painted or custom-made jerseys?
CJ: After leaving my previous job, I still had a lot of ideas that I wanted to bring to life. I started exploring London for unique fabrics—specifically non-performance ones. Without a production team or factory, I decided to paint the logos by hand. Once I did the first one, I fell in love with the process and just kept going.
CK: What’s inspiring your work right now?
CJ: Honestly, inspiration comes from everywhere—whether it’s something I’ve seen in a museum or fabric shop, an old kit that has personal meaning, or even a drawing my son brought home from nursery.
CK: Do you have a favorite piece from your work?
CJ: I always say my favorite piece is the one I’m working on at the moment. Right now, I’m painting two or three pieces that I’m really excited about. One of them is taking a particularly long time to complete, but I’m confident it will be worth the wait.
CK: How has your work been received by the art, fashion, and football communities?
CJ: I’d say pretty well! I’ve received some really encouraging feedback, which I appreciate since each piece requires a lot of time and effort. What I love most is how art, fashion, and football create this diverse community. When people from different backgrounds and interests come together over football, it’s always fascinating. My toughest critic so far was a young boy at the Oof gallery who looked at my England shirt and told his dad, “I don’t like that one,” just as I happened to walk by! It was pretty funny.
CK: Which other artists are inspiring you right now?
CJ: Recently, I’ve been inspired by Evan Funke, who was featured on Chef’s Table: Noodles on Netflix. He makes handmade pasta, and I’ve been listening to that episode while painting. Also, I’m heading to Morocco soon to visit my wife’s family, which is always a source of inspiration.
CK: Do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations?
CJ: I’ve got a few things lined up, including a collaboration and several series I’m working on. Unfortunately, I can’t give too many details just yet!
CK: When can we work together? We’ve got hundreds of unsold shirts that need a creative project!
CJ: That sounds like an amazing idea! I’m definitely interested in doing something with that. Let’s make it happen!
