Darien Birks

"I think these images belong on a stamp because of their nostalgic value amongst those that grew up in a community similar to my own. The thought of what they represent make most people smile when they see the art. They bring back memories of when we wanted to look our best, how we wanted to present ourselves to the world at that particular time. When one pomade didn't give us the look that we were trying to achieve (primarily waves), we'd switch to another one—it would create debates about which was the best. The bold colors and interesting use of typography on the tin can packaging were other details of interest, they were iconic, and I wanted to recapture that." –Darien Birks

Darien Birks spent the last several years — and the largest part of his career — as an art director at Nike. These days he's working independently as a design director, and honing in on his craft as an illustrator. His subject matter is a mix of pop culture portraiture, and everyday objects that tell some sort of story — past, present or future.