Jer Dee Celebrates Dance Music through Designs for Nike by You
By Tricia Quintero
December 14, 2021
The magic of dance lies in it being the most striking combination of athleticism and creativity. Closely tied to the artform, dance music, as a genre, is as colorful and vibrant as it sounds. When you listen to dance, more often than not you get a clear picture of a scene—bright splashes of colors.
This was the inspiration of Nike’s latest project. The new Nike by You collection at Nike Park revolves around the celebration of various eras of dance music. And they found the perfect collaborator with Filipino illustrator Jer Dee.
Dee admits that dance music is actually the sound he likes making his art to—having experienced being a DJ pre-pandemic. He has had a natural affinity for the genre, and a quick browse at his works on his Instagram can attest to it—dynamic, colorful, and fluid. But the most striking thing about his works is the way he plays with colors and uses them to tell a story.
Dee is known for his love for and straightforward approach with colors. Where some artists find difficulty integrating it to their works, Dee is the opposite. In fact, he admits that he usually works on the colors first and adjusts them along the way if needed.
Dee is also heavily influenced by ancient Japanese and Chinese paintings, both of which usually emphasize colors more than the realism aspect. The result is an array of work that conveys movement, foregoes realism for vibrant colors, but at the same time makes it seem like they are drawn by ink even though they are entirely digital.
When asked about how the collaboration with Nike came about, “The brief was to be in line with their current dance campaign, and they got me because a lot of my artworks convey movement and have this energy. My illustrations are always moving, so they tapped me specifically for that.”
Dee produced seven designs to make up his Nike by You x Jer Dee collection. These designs can be used to customize various products like shirts and tote bags at Nike Park. Head over to Nike Park at BGC to see more of Jer Dee’s works and have your own products customized.
