Illustrator Writer Character Designer

Born in New York City in 1999, Braavi spent much of his childhood enamored with anime, manga, and video games like World of Warcraft (2004), Prince of Persia (2008), or Assassin’s Creed (2008), at the hands of older cousins. This guidance — whether he was into things a bit too old for his age bracket or not (much to his guardians' dismay) — sparked something in the young Braavi that would carry his interests and passions for the foreseeable future. Anything fantasy-related, he gravitated towards. The first memorable experiences with creative expression manifested through the episodic sessions of play he'd indulge in with childhood toys. 

Braavi didn’t know at the time, and wouldn’t for years to come, but those were his first stories.

Growing up, although he lived through the eyes of a storyteller — maintaining connection with fantastical worlds and fictional, complex characters while he grew — Braavi possessed no vehicles for the real-world expression of that passion through any "traditional" means. He didn’t consider myself an “artist” growing up; describing his definition of that archetype as "too jaded" or "naive". It wasn’t until 19 that the budding artist picked up a pen in the wake of a dark time. The rest is (actively forming) history.

Most of Braavi's early, core influences stem from anything fantasy-related. Some, but not all, include Naruto (2002), Underworld (2003) Boondocks (2005), and HunterXHunter (2011). Favorite authors and mangaka currently include the likes of Brent Weeks (The Night Angel Trilogy, The Lightbringer Saga), Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind) and Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen). A number of contemporary artists including Nikolas Draper-Ivey (DreamVesper; Static Shock Reboot), Hebru Brantley (World-Renowned Fine Artist) , and Titus Khapar (World- Renowned Fine Artist) influence his work conceptually and visually. Last but not least, the artist cites an endless list of peers, friends, and (healthy) rivals that help continually inform him not only about his own work but about the current, ever-changing landscape that surrounds him.  

If Braavi had to place a label on his work — regardless of how much he'd typically refrain from doing so — he draws parallels in his work between the Afrofuturist and Afrofantastical movements under a conceptual lens. Visually, he mixes comic book/manga illustration with a painterly foundation to speak in a language he feels is his own. Without the overly specific constructs, Braavi is simply a storyteller. It’s what he loves, and it’s what he's been doing since birth. It's what he is at his core.

Adittionally, Braavi makes efforts to center his people (Black Americans) in nearly every narrative, scene, or world he constructs. He does so under the belief in a simple adage:

“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it”.

Braavi tells stories that he finds in the world, stories from his lived experience, and the stories of people he loves. His work is a tribute to the lives he encounters.

Braavi's practice stems from the mediums of digital illustration, fictional prose, poetry/written word, comics/manga, clothing design, and "anything else he can get my hands on". If it’s interesting, fun, or presents an intriguing problem he'd like to solve, the young artist is likely pursue it with earnest.

Being fresh in his career, Braavi believes the most important aspect of his future is further developing his voice as an artist. While already unique in its own right, the artist is constantly hungry to improve and augment his work. He has many goals, but the secure, stable development of original IP, continued learning and the development of new skills are first and foremost. An establishment of noticeable presence within the field(s) of practice that he frequents are also at the forefront of his aspirations.

From the Artist:

 "I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t competitive. To put it simply, I want to see my art and the art I create with friends all over the world. I want to see toys, novels, comics, movies, music videos, and a myriad of other creations birthed from the ideas in my head. There’s not enough space in said head to keep it all locked in, and no one is crazy enough to do half of this shit but me and a couple of those aforementioned friends. I want to dare to dream, and I want to see what comes from it all."