Sometimes even when the sun is out, it’s a rainy day. Human emotion tends to have that effect on you.
Recently, nationally recognized artist and Chicago native Hebru Brantley premiered his latest collection, Paradeday Rain at the Chicago Cultural Center. The debut brought out a variety of Chicago creatives and was sponsored by the always classic and smooth, Hennessy V.S.
Brantley described this collection as an exploration of human emotion and the duality that comes along with it. The pieces touch on optimism and pessimism and their place in the human journey through a visual narrative of literally, flying “Afro futuristic” boys and girls and a larger-than-life parade float. The incorporation of Japanese anime can’t be missed and the multimedia pieces are extremely compelling and allow the viewer to interpret it however they wish, which is typically the intention of art anyway.
Brantley, a product of the “Low-End” of Chicago credits his block as being apart of him, his heart, which is incorporated into his projects. With murals across various neighborhoods in the city — including the one where he grew up — it is evident that hard work, passion and love are put into every piece. Exploring culture through artistry is one of those things that takes precision and requires free-form thinking —two things that Brantley very much possesses.
His work has been featured in exhibits from coast to coast and have even been purchased from the likes of Nicki Minaj and everyone’s favorite “hip-hop royalty” couple, Jay Z and Beyoncé.
Paradeday Rain will be at the Sidney R. Yates gallery, located on the fourth floor of the Chicago Cultural Center from June 14 to Sept. 23, 2014. Stop on by!
