I'm all about making something out of nothing, and artist KS Rives takes that philosophy one step further by making something beautiful out of nothing anyone wants: trash.

Whether through the use of old maps of Paris, discarded rubber bands and public transit tickets, or even cigarette butts, KS Rives takes something that no one wants and transforms it into a highly desirable work of art.

To see some of her art, including her hand-painted wallpaper, just read more.

In her artist statement, she says,

For years my work has been about using refuse to reflect on the decisions that people make, and deciphering what that means about them as people. Studying waste from different parts of the world allows me to discover not only things about other cultures, but about my own by comparing and contrasting the two. Using the technique of collage, I am able to connect intimately with my work and study the individual pieces in detail. This therefore allows me to form a personal relationship of sorts with each culture, combining art making with my passion for sociological thinking.