HEBRU brantley: FLYBOY UNIVERSE

Hebru Brantley is a Chicago-based and internationally recognized visual artist who is most notably known for his narrative style and afro-futuristic depictions. He works with both painting and sculpture and had a unique aesthetic that experiments with anime and graffiti styles.

Hebru Brantley was born on the south side of Chicago, where he was influenced by the variety of street art and graffiti in the city. In an interview with Complex, Brantley stated that his first inspiration to become an artist came from his very first coloring books as a child. Later he would be inspired by cartoons and superhero aesthetics to incorporate a hopeful and child-like characteristic into his art.

Today, Hebru Brantley is known for his narrative-driven work, which revolves around pop-culture references and iconic characters. He takes the Chicago-style mural and graffiti work as a frame to explore themes of nostalgia and hope. As an artist, Brantley sees himself most influenced by the lineage of the Chicago Afro Cobra movement of the 1960s.

Today, Brantley is recognized internationally for his unique aesthetic and innovative style. Two of his created characters have become iconic markers of this painter’s work, namely FLYBOY and LIL MAMA. FLYBOY is a young boy wearing airplane goggles who has essentially become the face of Brantley’s unique brand. The character is sculpted to take on a comic-book look, providing the viewer with a sense of nostalgia. The character itself seems to represent hope and spark in the viewer the whimsical imagination that comes with being a child.

Brantley’s iconographic style and themes stretching from cartoons and superheroes to African-American history and hip hop have earned him success on an international level. Some well-recognized people that have bought his work include Beyoncé, LeBron James, George Lucas, and Jay Z. He has even collaborated on projects with brands like Adidas and Nike.

However, Brantley’s most innovative and captivating work yet was opened in 2019 and was known as the Nevermore Park. The installation is an interactive walk-through experience in which visitors interact with a variety of artworks while making their way through the park. This experiential installation is mostly inspired by the narratives surrounding FLYBOY and LIL MAMA. The 6000 square-foot installations hosted a total of 23,000 guests.

Brantley’s work features an innovative balance between social commentaries and whimsicality. He embeds his themes within the narratives of his characters, who themselves are nostalgic takes on cartoon characters and comic book heroes. In an interview with Complex, Brantley suggested that he wants his art to provoke in his viewers that fantastical light that many people let go dim as they become adults. Through his art, he seeks to give people of all ages a sense of uplifting by rekindling their childhood spark.

Brantley has exhibited his art all over the world, including Hong Kong, London, San Francisco, and Switzerland. Today, he lives in Los Angeles and is working on expanding into content creation by adapting the FLYBOY universe. He now owns his own media company known as Angry Hero.

Brantley is an innovative artist whose unique aesthetics and themes of nostalgia and hope have made him well recognized around the world. You do not want to miss out on what this artist has in store for us next.