Brantley's Forced Field Exhibit

THE PARTY Friends, collectors and collaborators of Hebru Brantley gathered in the multimedia artist’s Pilsen studio for a joyous dinner in collaboration with Hennessy to fete Forced Field, Brantley’s solo show at the Elmhurst Art Museum. THE PEOPLE “If you’re here tonight, it’s because you mean a lot to me,” said Brantley in a toast to kick off the evening, which included guests like his wife and HERO/BLACK co-founder Angela Brantley; longtime friends and the husband-wife duo behind Sir & Madame boutique, Brian and Autumn Merritt; as well as a handful of studio team members. THE PINNACLE Between sips of delightfully potent Hennessy cocktails (the banana sazerac was a hit), guests enjoyed a multicourse feast amid sprawling canvases and larger-than-life resin Flyboy sculptures, a motif that Brantley has become known for. At evening’s end, guests were poured a healthy sipper of Hennessy Paradis Impérial, the cognac house’s rarest blend, aged for over 250 years. It was the ultimate nightcap and a fitting finish to the special evening. -Jessie Sardina

Photos by Onasis Odelmo