Hebru Brantley

(American, born 1981)

Hebru Brantley is a contemporary American artist best known for his Afro-Futurism approach to anime and graffiti. Working in a distinctly graphic aesthetic, his paintings and sculptures often depict fictional versions of his younger self, as well as pop culture or art historical figures like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. As described in his artist statement, he combines “energetic narratives—moments of reality from his life and the lives of his peers, mixed with fantastical fiction—to create a fragmented environment of make believe.” Born in 1981 in Chicago, IL, Brantley grew up tagging trains and buildings and went on to receive a BA in film from Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. Brantley has shown with Tim Yarger Gallery in Los Angeles and Guy Hepner in New York, and currently lives and works in his hometown of Chicago, IL.