Na’ye Perez: Purple Hearts

Support BRIC with the purchase of our inaugural limited edition screenprint by Na’ye Perez. A framed version of the screenprint will also be on view in BRIC House’s Hallway through June 2024.

Celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop, BRIC presents a new limited edition screenprint from Cuban-Haitian-American painter Na’ye Perez. Printed by master printer Leslie Diguid of Du-Good Press, Purple Hearts is based on Perez’s acrylic painting, originally collaged with newsprint from Vibe, Source, and XXL magazines, hibiscus prints on rice paper, and sands collected from beaches in Los Angeles, Coney Island, and the Bronx. This coast-to-coast creation calls upon Hip-Hop’s geographical and generational roots, with gel-transferred album covers from some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop history, including The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Wu-Tang Clan, DMX, Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Megan Thee Stallion, and more. The work takes its name from the ninth track on Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and honors the everlasting legacy of Hip-Hop music and culture since its birth in the Bronx back in 1973.

Illustrating the intimate and the everyday, Na’ye Perez asks himself: “What is a shared experience? What is a moment in time that can be felt?” Purple Hearts offers us one of those moments. In it, Perez samples and remixes a scene from Spike Lee’s 1990 film, Mo’ Better Blues, when we find the trumpet-playing protagonist, Bleek Gilliam, at his lowest point, lying alone on his bedroom floor surrounded by jazz records. Through this reimagining, Perez recalls the undeniable comfort of playing on repeat and chronicles the true pleasure and healing power of Hip-Hop’s rhythm and flow.

Cindy Campbell’s invite to DJ Kool Herc’s first DJ set is featured in Perez’s print and in BRIC’s Hallway. Kool Herc is typically heralded for his role at the party where Hip-Hop was born, however, it was Cindy Campbell who acted as the party promoter, flyer designer, and strategic brains behind the legendary event. This mural draws attention to the often hidden, yet crucial role of black women in Hip-Hop, and reflects a larger effort by BRIC to broaden and deepen the discussions around Hip-Hop’s legacy and future. BRIC Hip-Hop is an evergreen home for the education, expression, and evolution of Hip-Hop. Based in Brooklyn, our programming bridges ideas and incubation to catalyze a global Hip-Hop culture.