LIFEWTR Brings Diverse Artists Into Focus with 'Life Unseen'

LifeWtr teamed up with Issa Rae to bring the works of twenty diverse artists to the forefront with its Life Unseen campaign.

LifeWtr Life Unseen Lead Image
Publicist

Image via LifeWtr

LifeWtr Life Unseen Lead Image

There’s no “right” way to make art or to be an artist. All one has to do is hear the calling to create and be courageous enough to pursue it.

For the men and women chosen to participate in LIFEWTR’s Life Unseen campaign, these inspiring creators honed their respective crafts in fashion, art, music and filmmaking to build careers that are a reflection of their diverse backgrounds and skills. Yet not all art receives the same exposure. To ensure that the Life Unseen artists were given a large enough platform and equal shine, LIFEWTR teamed up with writer, director and actress Issa Rae; a creative who’s proof that taking an unconventional route can also lead to success.

With Rae’s assistance, Life Unseen will help even the playing field and celebrate the creativity of 20 diverse artists through a multi-layered launch. On May 17th, the LIFEWTR Collection, a series of bottles featuring each of the artists’ creations, became available for purchase nationwide. The premium bottled water company will also launch a Life Unseen video. The short encompasses bright visuals and narration from musical artist Yung Baby Tate along with Anthony Blue Jr., Gina Chavez, Christina Mallon and Shanée Benjamin. The visual showcases how much richer the world is when creators from underrepresented communities are given the opportunity to display their work.

In an effort to inspire the new school of artists, the brand has also created the Life Unseen Contest. Using the hashtag #LifeUnseenContest, artists across all disciplines are encouraged to post their work on their public Instagram profile either showcasing their own designs or describing the art they’d like to create. Artists have until July 30th to enter for a chance to be one of five winners who will receive some shine from the LIFEWTR platform, a one-on-one mentoring session with Rae, and $10K to bring their creative vision to life.

While a complete list of the Life Unseen artists can be found at LIFEWTR.com, Complex caught up with four of the artists in the campaign including Luke Tadashi, Jake Fenster, Rashaad Dixon and MAASAI Ephriam, the creative directors of the Bristol Studio clothing line, filmmaker Anthony Blue Jr., musician Yung Baby Tate, and visual artist Christophe Roberts. Each discussed their path to the arts, their biggest lessons and their well-earned flexes.

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Luke Tadashi for Bristol Studio

“Stay true to your vision and don’t compromise.”

When did you realize being a creator would be your calling?

I’ve always felt most free and myself when creating. As a kid, I liked to draw, write, and play basketball. Each of those activities cultivated my creativity. Since childhood, I knew I wanted to be in a creative field.

What was the hardest part about breaking into your creative realm? Why was it such a difficult glass ceiling to crack?

Every day presents a new challenge. The challenges have evolved, but they’re always there. Early on it was all about figuring out how to actually produce clothing and build a business. Then it was about getting people to embrace a design language that is truly original—people can be afraid to try new things, so we really had to show and tell them what’s unique about our product. Today the challenge is making sure we grow intentionally and are conscious about it every step of the way.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from one of your past mistakes as a creative? How do you carry that lesson with you now?

Stay true to your vision and don’t compromise. Be open to taking feedback, but know yourself well enough that you can feel when you’re moving away from your true vision.

Of all that you’ve created so far, which has the most sentimental value to you and why?

Our reversible sweat suit because it was really the first of our products to break through. I’m proud that it grew out of a personal experience—the basketball memories of my youth. We used to flip our sweats inside-out after basketball practice, exposing the inside pocket bags; this unique part of the garment intrigued me. As a result, the reversible sweat suit was born from the joyous memories of playing basketball with friends, reimagined, and elevated in garment form. I didn’t compromise on the design and construction of it, improving it with each iteration until we arrived at the garment it is today.

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Anthony Blue Jr

“I just learned that you have to take action and waiting could be a forever thing.”


What are you doing now as a creative that your future self would be thankful for and proud of?

Taking care of myself physically and mentally. I think 2020 showed us how precious life is so without good health, the creative stuff might not make it.

What throws your mood off as a creative and how do you get back to center?

The older I get the more I want to slow down. I get thrown off when people want to work on projects with not enough time to develop the idea and just push something out. I get centered by working on personal projects whether it’s with friends or solo.

What was the hardest part about breaking into your creative realm? Why was it such a difficult glass ceiling to crack?

The hardest part about breaking into an industry is having the patience and dedication when you are lacking resources. When I first started, I wasn’t making enough money but it helped that I loved what I was doing and needed a tremendous amount of faith. If you aren’t aware of the ceiling, you don’t really think about it until you’ve done everything you set out to do.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from one of your past mistakes as a creative? How do you carry that lesson with you now?

The biggest mistake I’ve learned was waiting for things to happen. I’m not sure if that was a mistake but I just learned that you have to take action and waiting could be a forever thing.

yung-baby-tate-lifewtr

YUNG BABY TATE

“As an artist, my work isn’t complete until I have changed the whole world.”

What is one aspect of your background or creativity that you initially tried to shun but you’ve realized is actually an asset?

I initially thought I had to choose between whether I was a rapper or singer, but these days I embrace the fact that I’m both.

Of all that you’ve created so far, which has the most sentimental value to you and why?

My song “I Am” probably has the most sentimental value to me right now. I wrote this song when I was in a really low place in my self-esteem, and I needed a reminder of who I was. These affirmations changed my life and have changed my fans’ lives.

What was the hardest part about breaking into your creative realm? Why was it such a difficult glass ceiling to crack?

Honestly, I didn’t have much “difficulty.” I just had a journey that wasn’t as fast paced. I appreciate that grind though because it makes moments like this matter even more to me.

Finish this sentence: “As an artist, my work isn’t complete until…

I have changed the whole world.

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CHRISTOPHE ROBERTS

“That form of crowdsourcing would stick with me through life, solidifying my hustle as an artist, from the playground to the gallery.”

When did you realize that being a creator would be your calling and what was the first piece of art you created after coming to this realization?

Crazy story! My first piece of artwork that really showed me the light was in elementary school. I was a shorty and at that time I was into comic books. Every morning, I’d be at the [comic book stand] at 8am and early on, I was tracing and redrawing frames of every character. But, you know, I needed supplies. So I kind of pitched the comic [I was drawing] to the playground and showed it to the other kids; I got three kids on board. One kid used to buy my drawings all the time; give me all his lunch money for that. That form of crowdsourcing would stick with me through life, solidifying my hustle as an artist, from the playground to the gallery.

What is one aspect of your background or creativity that you initially tried to shun but you’ve realized is actually an asset?

My stint in creative consulting and working as the creative director behind major brands. I’m behind some pretty big projects that a lot of people don’t even know I’m connected to. It really showed me how to run my art studio as a business, and in turn, I was able to lock in on a lot of those processes and grow as an artist.

Why is LIFEWTR’s Life Unseen campaign a good fit for you as a creative?

Any time a brand is willing to use a platform to echo words of endearment, inspiration, power, and love. That’s going to be a perfect platform for me to really shine.

Of all that you’ve created so far, which has the most sentimental value to you and why?

My masterpiece is a product that’s about to come out called the Manza D.I.Y Fine Art Edition and it’s inspired by my African roots. Basket knitting in the Bahamas, Gundam characters from Japan, model kits growing up, origami and more. The process is called Afrogami. I basically created my own LEGOS made out of paper that I’m about to drop in limited batches. You’ll get the sculpture flat with a set of instructions and you’ll pop out the parts and slide the pieces together to construct one of the many sculptures I created. The first one I’m releasing is the Manza D.I.Y Fine Art Edition. It’s going to be a three-dimensional version of what you see on my LIFEWTR bottle. This, to me, is a masterpiece. It took me three years to engineer this to reality and I’m really excited to share it with the world. I feel blessed!

 

Are you an artist in need of some exposure? LIFEWTR’s got you! From now until July 30th share either an image or a description of your work on your public Instagram profile using the hashtag #LifeUnseenContest for the chance to win $10K, a one-on-one mentorship with Issa Rae and some shine on the LIFEWTR platform. 

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