Ferrari Sheppard
Ferrari Elite Sheppard (born March 3, 1983) is an American contemporary visual artist, known for his vibrant, hybridized paintings which blend figurativism and abstract art. Aside from being a painter, Sheppard is a writer, photographer, activist and record producer. As record producer, Sheppard is half of the alternative hip hop duo Dec 99th, along with Mos Def. Early life and education. Ferrari Sheppard was born in Chicago. He spent his childhood in Chicago. Sheppard attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Career. After leaving The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sheppard took a lengthy  hiatus from visual art to pursue a career in journalism and music production. Sheppard conducted interviews with artists such as M.I.A., Erykah Badu, Saul Williams, Earl Sweatshirt and Little Dragon for Stop Being Famous, a website he founded in 2009. November 2014, Sheppard appeared on Anthony Bourdain's travel show The Getaway alongside Yasiin Bey. The pair traveled to Marrakesh, Morocco. In May and June 2016, Sheppard released 3 songs as producer for the alternative hip hop duo Dec 99th with Yasiin Bey – "N.A.W", "Tall Sleeves" and "Local Time". On August 1, 2016, Dec 99th released their fourth song on  Tidal titled "Hymn" accompanied by a statement from the pair, "Condolences to the families of the slain. Never stop pursuing freedom," likely a reference to police killings in the United States. Sheppard and Bey released their highly anticipated, self-titled debut album, December 99th exclusively on Tidal (service) in 2016. In 2016, Sheppard returned to visual art, participating in group shows and had his first solo exhibition September 12, 2020. Sheppard's art studio is located in Los Angeles, California. Social and political activism. 2010–11: "Haiti Earthquake". Sheppard organized a benefit concert in Chicago called Every Drop Counts for 2010  Haiti earthquake relief. The concert featured live music from Jean Grae, Dead Prez, Rhymefest, Mystic, GLC, The Cool Kids, and Kids These Days, as well as social commentary from Haki Madhubuti and Fred Hampton, Jr. The benefit was to raise funds for clean drinking water in orphanages and schools in Port-au-Prince. 2012–13: "Open Forum: South Africa". Sheppard was a US delegate at Open Society Foundation and OSISA's Open Forum 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa. International artists, activists, and leaders took part in "The Paradox of Unequal Growth", a discussion centered on China and the International Monetary  Fund's role in the development of Africa. 2013–14: "Israel-Palestine". Sheppard traveled to Israel-Palestine as part of an African-American delegation sponsored by The Carter Center. In February 2014, Sheppard appeared on HuffPost Live to discuss his travel to the region and his article about the trip.