Jason Bempong, also known as Brotha Jason, is a multidisciplinary artist “manifesting through many mediums” through dance, fashion, graphic design, animation, acting, and modelling.

While juggling these art forms, Bempong spends most of his time focusing on Sleepless Mindz, his art and fashion brand, dance and dance battles, as well as acting. He recently was a part of this year’s Vancouver Mural Festival opening ceremony and was also a part of the encore celebration this past weekend. “I sleep when I can,” Bempong jokes.

Bempong came up with the name Sleepless Mindz back in 2013 when he found himself sketching and working through ideas and then looked at the clock to realize it was somehow four in the morning. “The name came from that moment in my life where if you have these ideas and are passionate about something, you don’t realize how much time has passed,” says Bempong.

Sleepless Mindz combines major influences from Bempong’s childhood. Primarily 90s cartoons, like Rugrats, ReBoot, Ninja Turtles, and anime, like Dragon Ball Z, but also elements from the 80s, 90s, early 2000’s, and his Ghanaian heritage. It focuses on bringing back “playfulness and joy—the feeling of when things didn’t matter as much when you’re a kid and are just carefree,” says Bempong. He learned how to draw from his father, who always kept a sketchbook around.

Bempong spent his early childhood in Canada before moving to Ghana for middle school. Moving to Ghana was “a huge culture shift. I had learned so much about my culture by speaking the language and everything, but I had only been living through stories my parents told, the food that we ate, and different movies, so to actually go there was crazy. To embrace and experience the culture was a priceless experience, so I feel like I came back to Canada gaining so much. I’m still drawing from that experience. It helped shape my art and appreciation of the [Ghanaian] culture in general,” Bempong recounts.

These influences are tangible in every piece of clothing Bempong designs. The screen-printed graphic pieces speak to sleepless creatives, while the hand-painted custom pieces include cartoon references, Ghanaian fabrics, and bright colours and patterns that draw on his memory bank of carefree childhood joy.

Although Bempong’s childhood influences are a core theme, he adds a modern spin, reworking clothing pieces currently in style—evoking nostalgia while also providing statement pieces that are sure to grab attention.

Bempong hopes to inspire others to follow their passions: “I think with what I’m doing, it’s me just trying to express myself, and I feel like with my success that it’s a sign or confirmation that anybody can do this. If you are passionate about something, there’s a reason that you’re here to do that. It’s your purpose.”

Bempong recalls the first collection he ever made for Sleepless Mindz, titled Tears of Joy. The main image was a colourful brain “with a gem in the middle to show how precious being creative is and how infinitely we can express,” says Bempong. It’s that mentality that guarantees there’s so much more to come from Bempong, and hopefully, he can find some time to sleep.