Hebru Brantley

Hebru Brantley creates narrative driven work revolving around his conceptualized iconic characters, which are utilized to address complex ideas surrounding nostalgia, the psyche, power, and hope.

The color palettes, pop-art motifs, and characters themselves create accessibility around Brantley’s layered and multifaceted beliefs. His work is heavily influenced by the South Side of Chicago’s Afro Cobra movement in the 1960s and 70s and he uses the lineage of mural and graffiti work as a frame to explore his inquiries. In addition, his work challenges the traditional view of the hero or protagonist and crafts a contemporary, distinct narrative that impacts and challenges the viewer.

An internationally recognized artist, he’s held exhibits all over the world including Art Basel Switzerland, Art Basel Miami, Scope NYC, and Frieze London. He has also been recognized in multiple publications such as the Chicago Tribune, Forbes, WWD, and HypeBeast. Collectors of his work include LeBron James, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz, George Lucas, and Rahm Emanuel. Brantley has also collaborated with brands like Nike, Hublot, and Adidas.

In October 2019, Brantley debuted an experiential fine art installation fueled by the narrative of his characters FLYBOY and LIL MAMA. The 6,000-square-foot installation in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood hosted over 23,000 ticketed guests and offered them limited-edition merchandise.

Brantley currently resides in Los Angeles, where he is expanding into content creation, including the adaptation of the FLYBOY Universe through his media company, Angry Hero. He is currently developing projects under a blind deal with Sony TV and serves as a non-writing Executive Producer on BREATHLESS at Sony TV and THE WEIRDO at Legendary TV. He is also developing several original films, including KANKAKEE with Lionsgate and Point Grey, HYPE with Peter Chernin and Netflix, FLYBOY with Gigi Pritzker, and many others.