ART:

Pointman, Pointman, Pointman. Over the years, Futura‘s signature character has teleported from one medium to the next, always reflecting the American artist’s penchant for science fiction and his ambition to be “out in front of the group.”

Made in collaboration with Avant Arte, the next stop in Pointman’s journey is pristine Carrara marble. Aptly titled MARBLEANGELO, the two sculptures — available in black and white — present a dialogue between past and present, where the ancient material comes in contact with Futura’s enigmatic alien figure and more contemporary details such as a polished brass antennae.

“Where do I see the Pointman going? He’s in advance of all of us, so he’ll have to report back and let me know,” said the artist in a statement. Each sculpture was meticulously crafted through an intricate process that Futura travelled to Italy to observe and understand. 

Like the medium itself, MARBLEANGELO comes with a heavy price tag of $8,547 USD and is highly limited to an edition of 30. The sculptures will release on Monday, December 19 at 9am ET.Continuing its artful releases, AllRightsReserved has now connected with Brazilian artist duo OSGEMEOS to bring their yellow-hued characters to life. The Giant draws from the fantasy universe of OSGEMEOS, a fanciful outlook that fuses oneself and the world with positive energy.

Widely known as “The Twins” in Portuguese, OSGEMEOS, the Brazilian twin brothers of Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo’s works create a fantastical private universe. In the universe, known as “TRITREZ,” long-limbed characters and surrealistic landscapes can be found and expressed through paintings, murals, sculptures, installations, and videos. Aside from aesthetic influences drawn from hip-hop and youth culture, is a reverence and reflection of contemporary and Brazilian culture.

Limited to an edition of 31, AllRightsReserved x OSGEMEOS The Giant is rendered with meticulous craftsmanship in bronze. “Our giant is LOVE, and we hope to bring positive energy and spirit to the whole world,” said OSGEMEOS. The elaborate figurative sculpture stands 14.4 inches tall and is marked by textured hair, detailing on the outfit, and a train-like wooden box and a piece of rail for display.

The release is inspired by OSGEMEOS “GIANT” project and comes accompanied by a 3D animation in collaboration with Flooul Animation. The OSGEMEOS-directed visual sees The Giant travel around the city standing on top of the train with the track symbolizing an ongoing life journey. “The guy standing on the track looks like he is thinking where to go,” said OSGEMEOS, “He can find the best way to go because he’s the top guy, the giant, so he can see far.”

Coming with a certificate of authenticity, AllRightsReserved x OSGEMEOS The Giant bronze sculpture will be available via a draw at DDT Store from 28 November until 1 December.Following the unveiling of his “THE PROMISE” public art installation at Qatar Museum’s Dadu Gardens, KAWS is dropping a new set of vinyl figures and posters for collectors. 

The grandiose figures standing in the Dadu Gardens are depicted as two KAWS COMPANION figures in grey and appears draw similarities to the “FAMILY” COMPANION figures that see the larger version appear to pass a globe-like sphere to the child-like version. The figure can be seen as a signature feature at Dadu, which is fitting as it is the Children’s Museum of Qatar. 

Fans can now own a replica figurine of the installation. The vinyl figures arrive in three different colored COMPANIONS, including in grey, brown and all-black. In all the figures, the globe is the same and arrives in the traditional blue and green makeup. In addition to the vinyl figures, KAWS is also releasing an signed and numbered edition screenprint to commemorate the new “THE PROMISE” installation for $5,000 USD. The print comes unframed and is limited to only 500 editions. The installation arrives during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

“THE PROMISE” arrives on KAWSONE on November 22 at 12 p.m. EST. 

Take a First Look at A$AP Rocky's Real-Life 'Need for Speed' Mercedes-Benz 190E

Following the reveal of the in-game digital replica for Need for Speed Unboundearlier last month, new images of A$AP Rocky‘s real-life custom Mercedes-Benz 190E have now surfaced. Having hired AWGE as a creative consultant, Unbound will allow players to compete with Rocky in-game for a chance to beat him for the hero car.

The DTM-inspired 190E saloon arrives in Scarface-like mid-split paintwork featuring all-over AWGE branding and the slogans “Always $trive and Prosper” and “If Not Now Then When” printed on the driver and passenger doors. Additional details include X-taped headlights, a metallic gold grille, TESTING warning motifs on the antennae, an extended front splitter with green underglow lights, and deep-dish BBSrear wheels.

“Every panel is altered, all four arches are tubbed and there’s some wonderful, old-school craftsmanship in it. Some great friendships have been forged along the way too, which is what car life is all about,” writes Ryan Steward from Speedhunters who was involved in the project. “It takes a team willing to go beyond any sane level of detail to create something so extremely accurate to a game render.”

Take a closer look at the in-game version of the car here. More details and specifics are expected to arrive via a Speedhunters feature in the coming weeks.

In other news, Switchblade transforms from road-legal car to plane in under 3 minutes.

ART: Rami Afifi's Art Centers Around Palestine and Pop-Culture Nostalgia

From working on projects with Nightmares on Wax and Nike to designing a deck skated by Ed Templeton, UAE-based, Palestinian artist Rami Afifi is taking the Middle East by storm.

With a vibrant aesthetic rooted in nostalgic pop-culture references, cultural heritage and memories of his homeland, Afifi has created murals around the UAE, taught masterclasses in Saudi Arabia and collaborated with various global brands. His artistic style is instantly recognizable, creating playful characters such as “Bastakiya Transformer and his robot falcon companion” or basing his illustrations off of Marvelsuperheroes, hip-hop artists or a bag of chips. As seen on skate decks, sneakers, and many more, Afifi doesn’t limit his capabilities to a particular medium, but rather to what communicates his story the best.

Hypebeast caught up with the artist to discuss his vision, childhood memories, Palestine and favorite projects thus far.

Hypebeast: When and how did you get into art?

Rami Afifi: I’ve been into art ever since I could remember. It all started with LEGO. I obsess over matching all the right colors when building my creations. I would also always try and draw my favorite characters from the cartoons I used to watch like Ninja Turtles and Captain Majid. I decided then and there that I wanted to be a cartoonist. 

I drew, used play dough, did graffiti, made stickers and now, I mostly work in digital – it gives me the freedom to truly express myself with colors and the ability to undo (a true blessing or maybe a curse).

You’re well-renowned for acknowledging Palestinian culture and creating around it – could you talk about what inspires you the most and how you like to portray the culture in your work?

One thing I learned from being a member of the Palestinian diaspora is that home is not necessarily a piece of land, but rather a collection of memories, art, music and traditions. Really anything that can transport you there.

I had often disregarded my Arab identity thinking it wasn’t important and aspired to be like artists from the west who I idolized, but over time, I found that my Arab-ness was what defined me. I used to tell people that I thought Fine Art was bulls**t and that my art didn’t have meaning, but rather was all about an aesthetic. What I find now is that by creating art as a Palestinian, that already gives my work lots of meaning. All of these nostalgic elements, the pop culture, these are things that give me a sense of identity, considering I had no home to go back to. With the rise of social media I found that by focusing on the subject of Palestine I could create awareness for our cause. 

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Rami Afifi

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Rami Afifi

A lot of your work includes nostalgia from the Arab world, could you talk about why and how you go about choosing what to draw? What inspires this vision?

I grew up in Saudi Arabia, started working in Jordan and then moved to Dubaiaround ten years ago. The nostalgia in my work is a collection of things local to the countries, but also things I experienced growing up in those places. Whether it was watching VHS tapes of the Wrestlemania events at my friend’s house or eating Al Baik on the streets of Jeddah, a lot of these memories inspired me to be who I am today. 

I aspired to want to draw as well as the artists who drew my favorite comics from Spiderman to Daredevil and my favorite cartoons like the Transformers. Most people got into skateboarding through watching skate videos, we didn’t have those in Saudi, instead I got into it through Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons and the Tony Hawk‘s Pro Skater video games on PlayStation. Merge that with the amazing food, architecture, cultural sites and landscapes of the cities I grew up in and you get a weird mashup of pop culture, food, history, architecture, etc. These would in turn show up in my art where I created characters.

Out of all your projects, which have been your favorite to work on?

My collaborations with Nike have been touchstone moments for me. I always aspired to collaborate with the brand and made it my goal and was fortunate enough to create the packaging for the Middle East launch of the Air Max 1 Master and for the debut of the Vapormax. I was also given the opportunity to create limited edition t-shirts in celebration of the 1 year anniversary of their Dubai mall branch including a t-shirt customisation workshop. 

Another one would be designing my own KFC bucket and creating a mural for the 50th anniversary of Porsche which currently lives in the Driven coffee shop. 

Tell us about your latest collaboration with Converse.

I most recently collaborated with Converse on a mural for their new flagship store at the Mall of the Emirates. I created two murals, one linked to the brand’s history within the skate scene playing out one of my fantasies where a skateboarder skates the Jumeriah Beach Hotel. The other piece was dedicated to the brand’s history in basketball and features a woman in a hijab scoring in an oversized hoop on the side of Burj Al Arab. These murals were coupled with a t-shirt collaboration featuring a Converse Mecha robot, referencing my love of Mecha anime. Following this, I created two murals for the store in Dubai Hills Mall and another for the Vendome Mall in Qatar.

Depop Collaborators: Clouder Brings Audiences Into the Animated World of Stitch Through Screenprinting Workshop AND MORE

Clouder lives in a technicolor world, constantly inspired by the lively scenes and colors around him and driven by a desire to manifest all of this into his designs. Clouder’s streetwear and lifestyle brand, Stitch, blew up on TikTok in 2019, creating an army of loyal supporters faster than the creative could have ever imagined. His original garments include outerwear, sweatshirts, graphic tees and more, depicting anime-inspired art and prints drawn by Clouder and created in collaboration with other artists.

The designer and visual artist originally set out to become an animator, but he now incorporates original artwork into designs so that others may don his vision, reaching larger audiences through his brand’s platform. Even without a formal fashion design background, Clouder continues to express himself freely through his work.

“I plan to make a lot more animation-based visuals for promotion or my personal work,” he says regarding the evolution of Stitch, “I’m trying to move Stitch from where it is now, into a slightly elevated area of fashion. I would also really enjoy working outside of fashion and be able to create my own furniture and short films. That would be the dream.”

“My graphics often stem from a story I’m writing separately — in many instances, they’re drawings I didn’t specifically create for clothes. On the other hand, I also have collaborative graphics with other artists that I like, seek out, and give free reign to draw my characters,” Clouder shares. His willingness to bring his imagination to life and to share this passion with other talented artists displays Clouder’s enthusiasm for marrying the worlds of artistry and street style.

To inspire a better future for fashion, even in the realms of hype culture and street style, Clouder will be giving his London community the chance to upcycle old garments by reviving them with limited-edition Stitch screen prints during an exclusive one-day event. This Depop Collaborators pop-up will not only spread a positive message about giving pieces of clothing a second life, but will also allow Clouder’s extensive TikTok following to meet him and leave with a truly impactful and meaningful keepsake.

In addition to the activation, Clouder will also sell limited-run pieces in his Depopshop. Clouder’s custom printing event will be open to the public on  Saturday October 1st at Hoxton Arches, Arch 402, Cremer street London E2 8HD,11am – 5pm. Stay tuned to learn more about new creators in Depop’s Collaborators series and upcoming pop-up installations.

After offering a glimpse at their upcoming collaboration with Denim Tears and Our Legacy, Stüssy has now revealed what appears to be a custom Rolls-Royce. So far, no further details have been revealed beyond a picture of a Rolls-Royce front grille featuring a custom Stüssy Motors badge and a Stüssy bent metal crown logo in place of the Spirit of Ecstacy, which some are jokingly calling the “Spirit of EcStüssy.”

In the past, the streetwear brand has had a couple of automotive collaborations such as its capsule with SoCal Car Shop MOONEYES in 2016, custom BMW M3E36 which took to the Auto Club Speedway for Summer ‘18, and CRF450 dirtbikes shot in Baja for Fall ‘22. That being said, an official partnership with Rolls-Royce would be its most ambitious auto-related collaboration thus far.

Stay tuned for more details.

Believed to be a sample pair, we now have a detailed look at the Off-White™ x Nike (NYSE:NKE -1.55%) Air Force 1 Mid “Graffiti.” Joining Virgil Abloh‘s still ongoing collaboration lineup with Nike/Jordan Brand, the upcoming take offers a bold design on the classic sneaker.

The Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 Mid “Graffiti” features a white leather base accented by graffiti prints on the lateral sides. Additional detailing comes in the form of stitched Swooshes, ankle straps, dual lace systems with lace toggles, and transparent heel tabs. Branding on the shoe includes “AIR” embroidery on the extended tongues, “NIKE AIR” embroidery at the rear, along with “OFF” motifs at the heels.

The usual Off-White™ elements like orange tabs, zip-tie tag, and Helvetica text that mark the medial sides are also found on the shoe. Finishing up the design of the shoe are white midsole units outfitted with warped orange Air units and matching track spike rubber outsoles.

Currently, the Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 Mid “Graffiti” does not have a release date but previous releases note a potential release could come at a price of $185 USD.