Hebru Brantley b. 1981

Hebru Brantley is an internationally beloved multidisciplinary artist whose large-scale murals and public sculptures feature such instantly recognizable characters as FLYBOY and LIL MAMA.

Brantley has described himself as an Afrofuturist artist—an aesthetic and philosophy that imagines possible futures for Black culture through the lenses of technology, science, and liberation.

His work reflects a range of pop culture influences, including science fiction books and films, Blaxploitation cinema, Japanimation, and graffiti art. Born in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Brantley was also inspired by the ethos of AFRICOBRA, a Black Arts Collective formed in the late 1960s in Chicago that centered positive representations of Black people.

Brantley often depicts hopeful, childlike images of himself in his work. Grounded in a world of childlike wonder and nostalgia, the narrative realm his characters inhabit becomes a stage for exploring themes such as the power of memory, the psyche, and the enduring value of hope.

Brantley’s iconic character FLYBOY, donning pilot goggles and an ever-curious, ever-confident expression, has become a fixture in the global public art scene. Today, FLYBOY not only inhabits murals and public spaces, but also appears in comic books, stickers, jigsaw puzzles, fashion accessories, and numerous other products—most of which sell out quickly on the Hebru Brand Store. Brantley is currently expanding the FLYBOY Universe through his media company, Angry Hero.

He has collaborated with numerous global brands and cultural figures, including Adidas, Hublot, Bombay Sapphire, and Chance the Rapper. His work has been exhibited around the world and widely covered in media outlets such as Forbes, WWD, Hypebeast, the Chicago Tribune, and the New York Post. Brantley’s collectors include LeBron James, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz, and George Lucas.

Brantley earned his B.A. in Film from Clark Atlanta University. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.