Art from the block. For the block.
Where it started.
[Personal origin story by Jay — coming soon.]
Two layers. One bear.
Every bear in this set lives on two levels. On the surface: a Philly neighborhood character with a name, a fit, and a block. Underneath: something older — an archetype, a personality, a way of moving through the world that echoes further back than Philadelphia.
You don't need to know the deeper layer to love the bears. But it's there for the people who look.
What is a jawn?
In Philadelphia, a jawn is everything. A person, a place, a thing, a feeling. It's the most useful word in the city because it means whatever you need it to mean.
If you have to ask, you're not from here. If you get it, you already know.
JAWN Culture Club.
JAWN Bears is a JAWN Culture Club project. JAWN Culture Club is a Philadelphia art and culture brand — t-shirts, prints, and ideas rooted in the city.
Find us at jawn.cc.
Behind the bears.
[Illustrator story coming soon.]