Black Hibiscus for Tibi Close Friends
Launching 11.12.2025
A little over a year ago we founded the Tibi Creative Lab (TCL). At the risk of redundancy, TCL is quite literally what it says it is - a laboratory for creativity. TCL represents the space behind the curtain, behind the veil of the front facing brand that is Tibi. TCL is where the creative process is highlighted, where we capture and share those special moments when enlightenment occurs, the lightbulb turns on, and how a project moves across its timeline from start to finish. What began as a vehicle for displaying what goes on behind the scenes of Tibi has now evolved into much more. We quickly affirmed what we always knew - that the behind the scenes content was never about the actual building of objects, but very much about where we find inspiration and derive satisfaction. That meant looking to other independent artists that are doing interesting things, bringing their own visions to life. Ultimately, we carved out a space to show you what we already knew - that there are incredibly talented individuals out there and if we can provide a place for you get to get to know them like we have, then we all may be better for it.
For those who may be new here, one of these projects is called Tibi Close Friends: the place where we capture the work of these independent artists and share it with you. And in true TCL style, we reveal how it all came together, and the why behind the what.
At the intersection of art, culture, and Creative Pragmatism, Tibi Close Friends is an original content series produced in partnership with like-minded individuals who use their chosen mediums to navigate curiosity and self-expression. We have worked with DJs/Producers like Brunello and Lumia, Singer/Songwriters like Bebe Stockwell, Ceramists like Leyla Khosrowshahi, and now, for our next collaboration, we have partnered with Black Hibiscus (JayJay) to showcase a two-part live performance recorded in the middle of our very own Tibi Atelier. For a multitude of reasons, this project with JayJay has been one of my favorite to date, and because of our passion for it, I wanted to take this opportunity to share how and why this all came to be.
Black Hibiscus is an Indie/Soul artist whom I had the pleasure to meet at a 3rdSpace dinner in Brooklyn in the early Spring. A brief note on 3rdSpace - founded by my friend Jake Sacks, 3rdSpace hosts intimate gatherings of young, creative individuals across a range of industries, highlighting incredibly talented chefs and artists each dinner so as to inspire and build meaningful connection. Each invitee arrives alone, no plus ones, which naturally facilitates an environment for true conversation and socializing. I’ve had the privilege of attending two dinners, and it is at the second event where I met Leyla, now Tibi Close Friend ceramist, and JayJay. In a room full of 20 or so guests, I walked around for a while, and was then introduced to JayJay. We talked, and kept talking, as our conversation lingered on until we sat at our respective seats for the meal of the evening. I met many wonderful people that night, but I felt something resonated a bit deeper when listening to JayJay, and sharing the stories of our lives and careers in the short time we had. I learned that he is from Nigeria, moved here in his early teens, and makes music. After helping Leyla to carefully wrap and transport her ceramics (she was a featured artist that night) back to Manhattan, I went home and listened to the entire Black Hibiscus discography - I was completely enthralled.
I texted JayJay and told him I would be honored to work together on a creative project, whatever that means, and he was in. Over the next few months we went back and forth ideating on what this project would be. I usually start by asking our artists questions about some of their work (songs in this case), their inspirations, and if there is anything they’ve always dreamt of doing, but haven’t made happen just yet. From there we build mood boards for the set design, musical arrangement, camera angles, and film styles. Matt and I had been intrigued by music videos we had seen where wide, overhead camera angles were utilized in seamless cuts that aligned with the progression of the music throughout the film. We had also always wanted to film a live performance in the middle of our Tibi Atelier, amongst the desks, office computers, collections on racks, etc… A setting that leaned in heavily to our TCL brand roots. We brought all of these ideas to JayJay, and his team, collaborating to build a vision that we all shared, and most importantly, loved.
As our conversations flowed, we narrowed in on a production date, the timing of which worked well in relation to the launch of Sable Hibiscus, a new album by Black Hibiscus and Moye, a young rap artist based in NYC. We all saw this as a wonderful opportunity to do a two-part live set, wherein the first song (FORLÖRN) is a solo performance by Black Hibiscus, followed by an arrangement of two songs from Sable Hibiscus (NECROPOLIS & ETERNAL) joined by Moye. We would film in our atelier, after-hours at 8 pm when the office would be empty, with four camera angles, and two microphones.
I believe that the final product from this Tibi Close Friends with Black Hibiscus is representative of the importance, and serendipity, of working with individuals aligned on their core principles, and of TCL’s evolution as a brand over the last year. Matt and I started Tibi Close Friends with little experience in this type of creative production, let alone the processes by which one brings projects like ours to fruition. With the trust of each artist, and each passing work, we have learned from our failures, grown, and honed our skills - Black Hibiscus’ Tibi Close Friends is the culmination of all of the above.
The complete Tibi Close Friends can viewed at Tibi.com or on YouTube. You can also view short clips from the production on the Tibi Creative Lab instagram. A special thank you to JayJay, Moye, and Dennis Free for your trust, and the entire Tibi team that assisted in bringing our vision to life. As always, we hope you enjoy.
Loved this--more more!
The best!