I Wish I Was A Real Person is a design that plays on the Jean-Michel Basquiat quote, “I’m Not a Real Person. I’m a Legend”. It started out as a painting but I wanted to make a more accessible version of the the artwork as a t-shirt. When I learned of the immense success and influence Basquiat had during his short life, I was baffled as to why he wasn’t more known in mainstream circles. He is both a legend AND a real person in art history yet most people outside of creative circles know the names Picasso, Warhol or Van Gogh, but if asked to name a successful Black artist who wasn’t an actor or musician they would be at a loss. This seems to be a common trend with Black “fine artists” both past and present. I Wish I Was A Real Person represents all Black artists whose narratives and identities have been obscured from art history and contemporary art culture.

I Wish I Was A Real Person is available in the colours, black and berry.