Hebru Brantley’s comic book–style mixed-media paintings center on two young protagonists: curious, empowered kids called FlyBoy and Lil Mama. Defining himself as an Afrofuturist, Brantley draws from a range of influences including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Chicago’s AfriCOBRA collective, African American history, hip-hop, anime, manga, and his own experiences of African American and urban life in the United States. He participated in the 1990s graffiti scene, tagging trains, walls, and other city surfaces. 

Hebru Brantley’s comic book–style mixed-media paintings center on two young protagonists: curious, empowered kids called FlyBoy and Lil Mama. Defining himself as an Afrofuturist, Brantley draws from a range of influences including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Chicago’s AfriCOBRA collective, African American history, hip-hop, anime, manga, and his own experiences of African American and urban life in the United States. He participated in the 1990s graffiti scene, tagging trains, walls, and other city surfaces. 

Hebru Brantley’s comic book–style mixed-media paintings center on two young protagonists: curious, empowered kids called FlyBoy and Lil Mama. Defining himself as an Afrofuturist, Brantley draws from a range of influences including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Chicago’s AfriCOBRA collective, African American history, hip-hop, anime, manga, and his own experiences of African American and urban life in the United States. He participated in the 1990s graffiti scene, tagging trains, walls, and other city surfaces.