Sole Mates: Hebru Brantley and His adidas Forum Collaborations
The Afrofuturistic artist sheds light on working with the Three Stripes and why it’s important to spotlight artists at all levels.
When scoping out cities across the globe that are known for spawning creative communities, one cannot skip out on mentioning Chicago. It’s recognized as a breeding ground for forward thinkers and innovators in pop culture, one of which is esteemed artist Hebru Brantley.
Brantley’s collectible works span across various art forms including graffiti, oil, acrylic, watercolor, video and photography, many of which are expressive of the concept of Afrofuturism. He’s a world builder, and his inimitable narrative is put on display through his own set of playful characters. His signature Frogboy, Lil Mama and Rocket creations are all derived from his upbringing, deep-rooted love for comics and film and the Windy City’s AfriCOBRA movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, and they’re designed to evoke emotions of nostalgia, hope and power. High-profile figures from the likes of Jay-Z, LeBron James, George Lucas and Chance the Rapper have all shown admiration for Brantley’s artistic talents, the latter of which even shouts him out in his song “Blessings (Reprise)” off his mixtape Coloring Book.
The Bronzeville-bred native recently linked up with adidas to form two Forum collaborations, both of which are the focal points of this newest Sole Mates feature. The character-inspired iterations serve as a follow-up to Brantley’s Rivalry Hi team-up with the Three Stripes and Billionaire Boys Club which launched as an Art Basel-exclusive in 2019.
HYPEBEAST caught up with the talented creative to discuss the importance of inspiring the next generation of creatives, the significance of brands giving artists a platform to create and more.
Hebru Brantley
HYPEBEAST: What got you into sneakers?
HB: I’m just a product of my environment. Not to sound cliche but I grew up in the south side of Chicago during the Jordan era, so it was just a foregone conclusion. Growing up in Chicago at that time you had two things that were a certainty. You were a Bulls and Michael Jordan fan, and you listened to R. Kelly all the time.
Your artwork is frequently associated with the streetwear scene, what do you think about the cross-section between art, streetwear, fashion, sneakers, and the all-encompassing culture?
It’s ages old. You look at Chanel and the 80s pop movement, there’s always been that intersection where art and fashion live in a space together, hold hands and go off. It’s no different right now, but it just happens in a bigger abundance and every time you blink there’s another collaboration coming out with an artist or a creative. It also gets a lot more shine because of social media. The exposure is the biggest difference.
Before your collaboration with adidas, have you ever thought your artwork could translate into footwear?
It’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a kid. I come from a creative and athletic family, but I’m the only one in the family that has stayed true to it and pursued it beyond it being a hobby. But I remember the times my cousin and I stayed up late and drew our own silhouettes, drew certain shoes and then added our own colors and flair. It’s always been a thing that I’ve relished and wanted to be a part of.
Your art is centered around this concept of Afrofuturism. How did you land on that design language for yourself and what inspired it?
It just ties into my upbringing and the things that I was into without knowing that it was forming. As I grow and notice the things that intrigued me, the things that I associate myself with, the movies I watch 100 times and the comics that I’m into were built over time. The hardest thing for artists to do is define their voice in any medium. When I was looking for mine, I thought I had a good sense of my heritage and my culture, but it didn’t feel like it was completely representative of who I was as a person. It took a little time to cipher through. I started to find that language and incorporate the things that I came up with through the things that I really held dear and my style was born from that. I’m a huge fan of the obscure. I’m a pretty understated dresser, and I think that a lot has to do with my height since I’m 6’8 and it’s hard for a 6’8 guy to be absurd or do too much. People I’ve always looked up to are the ones that have reached far beyond such as George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, Prince and guys like that. They’re all a part of my expression and how I want to emote and add sensibility into what I want to create.
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
From a creative POV, how did you approach the adidas Originals Forum collaboration?
Like I do with everything I do. It’s excitement first, then panic, then conversations and feedback. then finally landing on something that feels right. I think that one of the hardest things to do is to design for an existing silhouette, especially something that has history behind it like the Forums do. There’s been years and years of other folks coming in and putting their fingerprint on it so it’s about figuring out how to make something that’s wholly original or that leans towards my voice or my sensibility without feeling like I’m leaning on something that already came before me. I’m really fortunate to have a situation where I get to work with adidas who actually cares about what they’re doing, and cares about the artist in a real way. It’s not like I’m just here to fill a space and they’re checking a box, they really give a sh*t about my input and really care what I have to say. When you have that support, it really helps the end result.
The Forum is such an iconic shoe. How did you honor its importance, while adding your flair?
I’m a visual artist so it’s hard for me to transcribe what I do or distill that down into one design or two designs. It’s about approaching it slightly differently and incorporating elements of the things that I’ve created in the past as identifiers for the silhouettes. The Rocket and Frogboy characters are symbolic of freedom, emancipation and escapism. It’s also important to note being in a position to where, for those that know, they know just by looking and without seeing my name appear on a shoe or the box.
Has working with adidas influenced your work or changed your outlook on what you do?
It’s helped me gain a sense of understanding and confidence as I grow into my artistry and my expression, as well as have a greater sense of freedom in what I create and how I create. I also want to note that I wasn’t handheld or coddled through this process or given all “yes” answers to everything. Things didn’t work out every time and we had to try new things. The more shots you put up, the stronger your game gets. From this project, I’ve gotten a renewed sense of confidence in feeling like I have real ownership as opposed to feeling like a company just cut me a check and gave me a few colorways to make. And that’s important because for a lot of collaborations these days, a lot of companies just want you to turn in the homework and shut the hell up.
Why do you think it’s good that adidas celebrates artists of all calibers?
It broadens the perspective which allows for a wider audience to participate as those artists bring in their communities. It’s also a thing where I feel like adidas is one of very few brands that actually celebrates the creative and puts the creative in a similar position as they do the athlete. That’s important because it lives and dies with the creative. The athletes put it on and make this stuff look cool, but the creatives are the ones that actually get to see it from its genesis.
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
Hebru Brantley
What do you hope that this collaboration accomplishes for the culture?
It’s important that folks younger than me and those that follow me know that there’s not a monolithic type of creative process. It could be footwear, clothing, homewear, anything, and you can run the gamut and do what you do. I’m a fine artist but I’m not limited to galleries. There’s always an intention to inspire in everything I do. That sounds corny but I didn’t have a beat growing up, and I want to be an example for others to not restrict yourself and to know that the sky’s the limit if you’re creative.
Why are sneakers and their stories important to you?
To me, sneakers are the most important of the fit. I’m heavily into collector culture and that’s super intriguing. I also love how it’s a form of artistic expression and it’s a wearable form of artistic expression which is extremely and wholly unique. Like art, it’s all subjective, and one shoe can mean different things to different people.
