Brandon Sadler: deFINE the times
In the time it takes to sip a cup of matcha, you can learn a lot from Brandon Sadler (B.F.A., illustration, 2009). Founder of the Atlanta-based studio Rising Red Lotus, and recipient of the SCAD Distinguished Alumnus Award winner in 2019, Sadler has created work for clients including Marvel Studios, Disney, Adidas, and the Atlanta BeltLine. His art is featured prominently in the film Black Panther, and he created site-specific wall paintings and digital illustrations for the exhibition Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film.
On Wed., Feb. 24, 2 p.m., Sadler will conduct a virtual studio visit as part of SCAD deFINE ART 2021. In advance of that event, he checked in to chat.
Brandon Sadler:
My morning routine is I listen to a record on and make tea. Today is pretty cloudy outside so I’ll probably put on some Chet Baker, drink a few bowls and then go to my studio. It’s pretty simple, but that’s how I get my day started.
What’s my origin story? I was tossed in a vat of ooze and crawled out neon-colored! Actually, I attended SCAD at the very beginning of SCAD Atlanta. I come from a graffiti background, and I loved comic books, so I studied illustration, and learned the technical aspects of how to tell a story visually. I also wanted to focus on emotional and psychological content, so I studied in the painting department as well. My SCAD experience helped define my work ethic which was important, because I’m efficient in my industry today.
Seeing the impact that Black Panther had, to see how far it reached and what it did for people, is really special. And after the film came out, I’ve received related commissions that have kept the story alive. I just finished a mural for Trilith Studio, which used to be called Pinewood Studios, where some of Black Panther was filmed. The mural is in a similar style to what I created for Black Panther, and they’re going to dedicate it to Chadwick Boseman. To have my work commemorate him is an honor.
My working connection with Ruth Carter began when she created a clothing line for H&M. I painted a Black Panther-inspired mural for the activation and that was the first time I met her. When she decided to do the show at SCAD FASH, she put my name out there and I was contacted by Alex Sachs and Trang Vu at SCAD FASH and everything followed. I wasn’t even fully aware of all the movies Ruth worked on. It blew my mind that Ruth was this person who’d been with me my whole life, because I’d been watching her work on screen. To be involved in showcasing her legacy is a big deal.
With the SCAD FASH exhibition, my objective was to bring some continuity through those pieces, and create background pieces that allow Ruth’s costumes to be in the forefront. I used different motifs in my painting to reflect the time period the costume is from and when the film is set.
I have a deep abiding interest in Eastern practices. In my work I try to find ancient practices that are applicable, that are the foundations of the contemporary creations I appreciate. I try to figure out how to bring them both together so you can have something contemporary that’s full of historic substance. The ritual of tea is connected to my approach to creating art, the nature of the process. It manifests in the tea room and the tea branding projects I’ve worked on. I have another big tea-related project brewing right now.
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Written by Rachel McDermott
