CANBERRA artist and designer, Benjamin Shine has been chosen to showcase his work “15 Metres [not minutes] of Fame” in the US among 30 of the world’s top contemporary artists, photographers and sculptors, including bad boy and girl of British arts Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.

The work is his slant on an Andy Warhol self-portrait and is constructed from 15 metres of pink tulle, “a unique challenge”, as the artist says.

The MTV “Re:define” exhibition, opens on September 16 at the Goss-Michael Gallery in Dallas, Texas. All works will be auctioned and proceeds will benefit the Staying Alive Foundation for HIV sufferers.

London-born Shine studied fashion design at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design and St Martins in London, but came to Canberra five years ago when his Australian girlfriend answered  the call of home. In 2006, Shine invented CORDZ, a drawing product for children now patented in the UK and the US, which was awarded Top Creative Toy 2007.

In addition, his fabric-portraits have been Margaret Thatcher, the late Sir Edmund Hillary and Barack Obama.

So, has it been hard to re-establish his career in Canberra?

“At times it’s been a little bit of a worry,” Shine told “CityNews”, “but there’s the miracle of Skype, and I get overseas two or three times a year.”