“Reach for the Stars” 2025
Shade Akinruli born in Detroit, MI owner and creative director of Addictive Brand.
Reach for the Stars reimagines the spirit of Chicago’s sports culture through a comic-inspired framework. By presenting each team as an illustrated character set within a series of energetic panels, the work reflects the momentum, optimism, and resilience associated with athletic pursuit. The composition uses motion, symbolism, and stylized exaggeration to evoke the emotional landscape of competition—ambition, fall, rise, and triumph.
Guided by the phrase “Reach for the Stars,” the piece interprets aspiration as both a personal and collective force. While grounded in the iconography of Chicago, the work speaks more broadly to the universal drive to exceed one’s limits. As a Detroit-based artist, Akinruli approaches this theme from a cross-city perspective, emphasizing how sports and art function as shared cultural languages that unite communities. Through its playful yet intentional visual structure, the artwork invites viewers to consider the power of striving, perseverance, and imagination.
Shade Akinruli born in Detroit, MI owner and creative director of Addictive Brand.
Reach for the Stars reimagines the spirit of Chicago’s sports culture through a comic-inspired framework. By presenting each team as an illustrated character set within a series of energetic panels, the work reflects the momentum, optimism, and resilience associated with athletic pursuit. The composition uses motion, symbolism, and stylized exaggeration to evoke the emotional landscape of competition—ambition, fall, rise, and triumph.
Guided by the phrase “Reach for the Stars,” the piece interprets aspiration as both a personal and collective force. While grounded in the iconography of Chicago, the work speaks more broadly to the universal drive to exceed one’s limits. As a Detroit-based artist, Akinruli approaches this theme from a cross-city perspective, emphasizing how sports and art function as shared cultural languages that unite communities. Through its playful yet intentional visual structure, the artwork invites viewers to consider the power of striving, perseverance, and imagination.
Size guide
| LENGTH (inches) | WIDTH (inches) | SLEEVE LENGTH (inches) | |
| S | 28 | 18 | 15 ⅝ |
| M | 29 | 20 | 17 |
| L | 30 | 22 | 18 ½ |
| XL | 31 | 24 | 20 |
| 2XL | 32 | 26 | 21 ½ |
| 3XL | 33 | 28 | 22 ¾ |
| 4XL | 34 | 30 | 24 ¼ |
| 5XL | 35 | 32 | 25 ¼ |