Duane Bobbsemple

“This explains why I gravitated toward hip-hop and basketball at a young age. Again, my parents introduced us to the art world, but I didn't see myself in that world at all. Even at the ballet recitals, my sister was the only Black girl up there, you know? Yeah, so at some point, when you're getting a little older, you're like, okay, where do I belong? So there's this huge gap of me being immersed in sports.

I was throwing parties and whatnot, hip-hop parties, merging these worlds, and I still love those worlds, but I stopped engaging with the arts for a long time because I didn't see myself there.”

A creative director, curator, and community organizer, Duane facilitates interconnectivity across projects to create collective experiences that push creativity to the forefront. His resume is extensive and varied- Duane has collaborated with global brands, artists, and creators throughout the community to produce projects such as public art installations, experiential events, online galleries and online/print publications.

As the founder and producer of the creative platform and consultancy, Banded Purple, Duane’s built an artistic expertise and approach to spearheading creative ventures, making his insight into the industry invaluable.