Introducing my collaborative collection with Levis, launching on February 28 via the Levi's app. This limited edition features both men's and women's sizes. It is my first major art release this year, photographed by the talented Quil Lemons and featuring the legendary Debra Shaw. This project holds special significance as all three of us hail from Philadelphia.

Our goal was to utilize Quil's unique photographic style on film to enhance and bring my paintings to life.

——————- LEVIS:

Lee introduces his distinctive imagery and creative approach in the special Levi’s® x Gianni Lee capsule collection. This collection includes two versions of the Levi’s® 501®—in faded indigo and natural white—a faded indigo Levi’s® Type III Trucker jacket, and a dark indigo denim Levi’s® tote. Each piece combines unique design accents with panels of Lee’s original art, inspired by Egyptian drawings and Lee’s African heritage. The two featured images are a vibrant tribute to the beauty of the Black body.

Lee designed this collection as if each piece were a wearable art gallery. The 501®s, Trucker jacket, and tote provide clean, neutral canvases—reminiscent of an art gallery's quiet, white space—highlighting the vibrant artwork. Inspired by Gianni’s love of modular design, elements like yellow tabs, panels on the jeans and Trucker jacket, and the diverse color palette are all crafted to appear interchangeable.

I led the creative direction and designed the cover art for Robert Glasper's single "Better Than I Imagined." In our discussions, Robert and I connected on the theme of Black love and its potential for healing within our communities. Though I had a concept in mind, Robert's insights inspired me to delve deeper, aligning our intentions with the art. This artwork seeks to promote discussions on the need for more positive depictions of Black love, especially during challenging times. For inspiration, I referenced an image of Anok Yai captured by Adrienne Raquel and styled by Eric J McNeal.

Introducing Studio Genesis in Philadelphia, the first of many studios built by Gianni Lee across different cities, each accompanied by a captivating mini-documentary. This initiative pays tribute to LIFEWTR's “Life Unseen” campaign, dedicated to empowering artists by providing platforms for their creativity to shine and make a lasting impact.

Presenting the first in a series of five exclusive baseball cards in collaboration with Topps, featuring 2022 MLB Rookie of the Year, Michael Harris II. Designed by Gianni Lee, each card comes encased in a one-touch plastic case sealed with a holographic logo sticker. The Base Edition is limited to 3,999 copies, the Deluxe Parallel Edition to 100 copies, and the Artist Signed Artist Proof Edition to 20 copies.
About Topps Project100: Season four of Topps Project100 has arrived, featuring baseball cards from five renowned artists: Mister Cartoon, Luke Wessman, Gianni Lee, Louis Wes, and Mike Willcox. Each Project100 card boasts unique holographic foil printing and is crafted from premium 130pt stock. Topps has enlisted the talents of 20 world-class artists to design official MLB trading cards.

I recently collaborated with Apple on my latest “Today At Apple” session in Soho, NYC. I demonstrated Procreate techniques for branding your own drawings and designs and shared stories from my career and collaborations with Kimberly Drew. This session was part of the Hip-Hop series celebrating the genre's 50th anniversary. Thanks to Hip-Hop Education Center for organizing this event.


TOPICS

- Audacity of Making Art
- The Art of Being Perfectly Imperfect
- Being Curious
- What’s Next