BIGGER THAN HEBRU BRANTLY? WHY MAX EMCAYS IS CHICAGO'S BIGGEST UNDERGR

BIGGER THAN HEBRU BRANTLY? WHY MAX EMCAYS IS CHICAGO'S BIGGEST UNDERGROUND ARTIST

Apr 23, 2022 | by Zim Rothschild

The mayor and Chicago's elite know him, do you? Unlike other renowned artists, Max differentiates himself because he’s a man of the people, and he’s using his once-in-a-generation talents to activate positive change.

10 MINUTE READ

Today's Uniform Feature is Maxwell Emcays, a Chicago-based artist who uses his art to heal victims of inner-city violence and to protest social injustice. Max is in the classrooms and homes of children impacted by inner-city violence providing them with art supplies and tools to address the impact of inner-city violence. For instance, he teaches students how to use cartoons to talk about violence they've witnessed. Max also uses his art to equip protestors and raise awareness of social injustice. His talents have brought him connections with Chicago elite and celebrities like Spike Lee, Jim Brown, Jesse Jackson, Chance the Rapper and more. Many people who are familiar with Chicago's art scene know Hebrew Brantly, but few are privileged to know Max who is an underground artist that has more impact on the city of Chicago. Max is popular in the dangerous areas of Chicago that many are afraid to venture, yet he is revered by the locals - this is what makes him Chicago's greatest underground artist who is on the incline to stardom.

Pictured: Angela Yee holding art work from Max; Max and former Chicago mayor, Rahem Emmanuel; Max and Spike Lee; Steve Harvey holding art work from Max; and Max\ and Jesse Jackson.

HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PURPOSE?

I use art to activate humanism.

HOW DID YOU IDENTIFY YOUR PURPOSE?

I identified my purpose through my personal experiences.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON?

I recently wrote, directed and stared in a short film titled "JAIL". JAIL is about a community activist based in Chicago who fights corruption through restorative justice. Restorative justice is an approach to justice where one of the responses to a crime is to organize a meeting between the victim and the offender, sometimes with representatives of the wider community.

I am also dedicated to my Demand Justice is an Art Activism project. Demand Justice uses art as a vehicle to exercise civil liberties. The Demand for Justice is an all inclusive proclamation advocating for the rights of all.

The projects consists of a series of public pop-up exhibitions throughout Chicago. Pop-ups will last 5 to 45 mins. Some of the pop-ups will consist of a wide range of displays including performances, marches, picketing, vigils, etc.

PROJECTS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

Never Forget Chicago. It's a social movement I founded to make sure Chicago never forgets the victims of the city's violence and the pain their loss leaves behind. You can follow Never Forget Chicago here.

HOW CAN SOMEONE FOLLOW YOU?

Email: DemandJusticeChicago@gmail.com

Website: Maxwell.Emcays.com

Social Link: @DemandJusticebyEmcays