SLAVEFORYOURSELF | “Ill-ustrations”

Rarely designers are given credit for the work that they do for companies, instead the company as a whole is given credit for the creative design work. Creative illustration artist Justice Hall better known as “SLAVEFORYOURSELF” is the man behind many wonders, his work ranges from companies like The Brooklyn Circus and Perry Ellis America to popular figures like Kanye West and pro skater Ryan Sheckler. This Michigan bred artist takes much pride in his designs, most of his inspirations for his work comes from traveling, a wide variety of music, and of course his pride and joy Brooklyn (his daughter). SLAVEFORYOURSELF will be live in NYC on February 25th with his fellow artist TTK at the Scratch Academy, make sure you see his pieces up close if your in town. For now you can have a glimpse of some of his latest works below.

JGM: How did you come up with the name “SLAVEFORYOURSELF” ?

S.F.Y : Honestly, because that’s what I do. I hustle corporate.. That’s where most of my bread comes from.. Grinding in and out of the fashion houses on Broadway (the garment district)…When I first got into the industry, I would notice how the older more senior positioned designers would be burned out, exhausted from their 9 to 5 and would give up on working on being great for themselves… I would watch them slave for the company until the company sucked them dry from all their talents and then got rid of them for the next fresh young up and coming designer, who would take less pay… Once I noticed the structure of the industry, I made it a point to spend as much of the time I did/do for corporate,I’ll turn it around and put those same hours into myself… So it came naturally when I was explaining to a colleague about my hustle… I said something like: fuck slaving for corporate, “Slave For Yourself” and I ran with it ever since.