Hebru Brantley

Hebru Brantley creates Black superheroes. His signature characters — Flyboy, a goggled young aviator, and Lil Mama, his fearless companion — populate a vibrant Afrofuturist universe rendered in bold colors, graphic lines, and a visual language that draws equally from comic books, street art, Japanese anime, and the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. In Brantley's world, Black children don't just survive — they fly.

Born in Chicago in 1981, Brantley studied film at Clark Atlanta University before returning to his hometown to pursue art full-time. He came up through Chicago's street art scene, painting murals and wheat-pasting images across the city before moving into gallery work. His art caught the attention of collectors early — including the Obamas, LeBron James, and Jay-Z — and his pieces now command six-figure prices.

But Brantley's significance goes beyond the art market. His characters give Black children images of themselves as protagonists in fantastical narratives — as pilots, explorers, and heroes. His Nevermore Park immersive exhibition brought his universe to life in three dimensions, and his public installations in cities across America ensure that his vision of Black joy and possibility is accessible to everyone, not just collectors.