February is Black History Month, and as we take time to honor the invaluable contributions that African American culture has made in our lives, Lapstone & Hammer wants to shine a light on the creative contributions of some of our very own team members.
The Lapstone Black History Month Spotlight will feature three members of our staff: photographer Daquan Harris, graphic designer Na'im Cook, and sales associate/designer Kharon Basil-Lewis. Each of these talented individuals will receive a spotlight over the course of this month 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 we'll be hosting a pop-up for Kharon's brand, KONFVSEDROSE.
More detailed information about our BHM Spotlight events will be coming soon, but in the meantime please take a second to get to know our featured artists a little better:
Daquan Harris - "For as long as I can remember, photographs have held a certain level of importance to me. Whether by being able to journey into the past and reminisce from old family prints growing up, to photojournalism, in which the imagery challenges my curious mind to learn more about the goings of world through an unfiltered lens. So by time I decided to make the jump into this path, I felt as if it was just necessary & natural. But it didn’t always feel that way, especially growing up in an area where the art scene at the time wasn’t much really. It was hard sort of thinking it could be an escape or a different route to take. A major positive that I feel though, is that throughout the mid-2010s there was an artistic shift in my community which put a creative spark into everyone from young to old. With thanks to many local artists from Trenton & the 6ixOh9ine project (which I ended up looking to as mentors in photography and helping teach the next generation w/ photo) with art curated events, workshops, etc. we ensured in our community that the next generation of gifted talented artists will have the confidence of excelling in whatever media they wanted to take. With it all starting from seeing someone like them, in the arts."
Kharon Basil-Lewis - "I was born and raised in the West Philadelphia area, and I'm the founder of KONFVSEDROSE, which started in 2017 after I left college to focus more on my creative dreams. I get my inspiration from my grandfather and my son. They are my reasons why I continue to express myself through my brand and grow. My grandfather always supported my dreams. Any time I went to him needing advice, he gave me the confidence to keep going."
Na'im Cook - Na'im Cook is a visual designer and multi-disciplinary artist, primarily focused in the fashion and music industry. With recognition and credit from Hypebeast, Tierra Whack, FARFETCH, The Kimmel Center, Aleali May, and many others, Na'im prides himself on his distinctive voice when communicating visually. His affinity for detail, process and analog techniques, supports him through his "problem and solution" methods of creation. At 25 years of age, Na'im is utilizing graphic design, photography and 3D to bring a recognizable style to a range of audiences.
Photos by Evan Kaucher
