A foundational part of Lapstone & Hammer's mission is to support and collaborate with creators of all kinds to translate the passion they have for their crafts to the world at large. That is the impetus behind the Lapstone Artist Series, an ongoing collaborative project where we will partner with artists to curate special projects based on their own designs. For this edition of the series we want to shine a light on the creative contributions of some of our very own team members to show that artistry isn't confined to just the items in our store, but lives within the people who work here as well.

The Lapstone Artist Series Vol. 2 will feature three members of our staff: photographer Daquan Harris, graphic designer Na'im Cook, and sales associate/designer Kharon Fortune-Lewis. Each of these talented individuals will receive a spotlight to present their personal and professional passions inside our shop. Daquan will be displaying a gallery of his photography, Na'im has created a digital art installation, and Lapstone will host a pop-up for Kharon's brand, KONFVSEDROSE.

The Artist Series kicks off next Thursday, 4/27, with an opening night event from 5pm-8pm at our shop on 1106 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia, and features early access to the KONFVSEDROSE pop-up that officially releases both in-store & online Friday 4/21 exclusively at Lapstone & Hammer. See below for more details about the artists and their projects.

Daquan Harris

Quan’s talent simply speaks for itself, as his work can seen on the Lapstone IG feed, his own feed(lost.96er), as well as all over the L&H website! We asked Quan what it is about taking photos that’s so meaningful to him -

“With being in this small, yet vast world, I feel that we come across an array of people who are unique & live life authentically. With photography, it’s just always felt like a vessel I can use to highlight those same people that remain authentically them.”

Quan's contribution to the Artist Series consists of five portraits of his lifestyle photography he chose to be displayed on the wall next to the front counter. He describes the pieces as follows:

"Emotion. Thought. Self Expression. The images on display here feel as if they are representations of these words in one way, shape or form.” 

Na'im Cook

Na'im is an integral part of our creative team, as evidenced by his work displayed throughout the Lapstone IG as well as his personal IG(@350px). We asked Na’im to give us some insight on why he creates, and what it is about trying new methods of making art that keep him inspired-

“Expressing myself creatively has been present in my life since early childhood and became my strongest vessel for moving throughout this world. I was raised to believe that there’s no ceiling that can’t be broken and no industry boundary that can’t be shifted – and I’ve used the power of creativity to open every door in my life.

'Never Kill Creativity' became a brand staple of mine (derived from my name initials) in high school. It’s larger than a way of approaching art. It’s my own 'survival of the fittest' mentality. It’s not about who’s the 'strongest' or 'fastest', but who’s the most 'adaptable'? Who’s the most creative to adapt to their environment to succeed and reach their goals?

I’m not afraid to try a new medium or change the style of clothes on my back or switch what genre of music is currently my favorite. Change is a part of who I am and goes hand in hand in my process of growing as a creative individual. I only want to be seen as an individual who exhausted every possible outcome. Any box you put me in is for your understanding of who I am, not mine.”

For the Artist Series Na'im created a digital art installation featuring his 3-D animations, photos and graphic design elements that is displayed on a 80" screen in our front window.

Kharon Fortune-Lewis

Kharon is a face that may be familiar to you if you’ve ever visited the shop. There’s a good chance he's sold you some kicks or helped you put together a fit. Outside of the shop Kharon(@kfl_kr) is a designer, and owner of his clothing label KONFVSEDROSE. Kharon’s passion for design and eye for style can be seen throughout each of his pieces. His beanies were a fixture this past fall/winter, and could be seen on heads all over the city.

We asked Kharon what inspires him to create, and where he drew inspiration for the collection he created exclusively for the Artist Series-

“My biggest inspirations will always be my grandfather and my son. To me fashion has to reflect who you are, what you feel at the moment. It doesn’t have to be bright, doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be you.

The Konfvsed Rose "Rose Bowl" collection was brought to life from my memory of the Rose Bowl game in 2006 when Reggie Bush was at USC. I dreamt of being able to play in a game with that type of atmosphere one day.”

Kharon's KonfvsedRose “Rose Bowl” collection will be available exclusively at Lapstone & Hammer on Friday, 4/28 in-store & online. Those who attend our Artist Series kickoff event on Thursday, 4/27 will receive early access to shop the collection. Stay tuned to all Lapstone media channels for more information.