The Owner's Story
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I am Jovan Naves – a husband, father, and business owner. I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI, graduated from East Kentwood in 09′, and went on to get my Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design from Wayne State University. While at Wayne State, I started the clothing line Bare All Clothing and grew it from there. After graduating, I apprenticed at a Detroit-based screen printing studio and in 2016, I moved back to Grand Rapids where I went on to open my own screen printing company (BAC Print).
Bare All is the clothing line of the PEOPLE. We offer comfortable, fashionable, yet affordable pieces. In addition, we give our customers a voice by listening to their input in the creation of our products. Based out of Michigan, we are unlike most of the competition where we not only design, but also print our own clothing and have actually expanded into owning our very own screen printing studio: BAC Print (BACPrint.com). Currently, our brand is only available online or through local pop-ups that we do from time to time. Along with the clothing line, we have a community aspect to the business where we go speak in schools as well as mentor the youth.
Owner's Connection To GR, Thoughts on Liberation, Reclamation
What does Liberation mean to you?
Liberation means ownership, ownership means freedom, and freedom means living with no strings attached.
What does Reclamation mean to you?
“Taking the block back” : reestablishing rightful ownership
An Emotion/ A Phrase or Image I would like frozen in time?
Emotion: JOY
A Phrase: Celebrate your WINS, Learn from your Losses
What would I want to see?
I would like to see the Joy in the process of graduating in life.
What do I want my business to stand for/be known for 10 years from now?
I want our business to stand for excellence in the community.
About the Artist
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Bakpak Durden, born and raised in Detroit, is a self-taught multi-hyphenate post-disciplinary artist. Pulling from various figurative art techniques, Durden employs a wide range of mediums—oil and acrylic paint, graphite, and fine art photography —to construct their hyperrealistic and conceptual works of art. Durden’s artworks illuminate the complexity and precarity of human emotion and identity by meticulously examining their own.
In 2021, Durden completed a breathtaking mural for the inaugural BLKOUT Walls mural festival in Detroit and a vanitas style influenced mural in St Petersburg, FL for the SHINE mural festival. They were a contributor to the GUCCI VS. EVERYBODY campaign, in collaboration with the Vs Everybody brand and Gucci in conjunction with Gucci Changemakers at the start of 2021. They are a 2021 Gilda Award recipient along with the Playground Detroit 20/20 Emerging Artists Fellowship and the Modern Ancient Brown Foundation Grant awardee.
Bakpak is focused on continuing their work within their communities; highlighting black trans and queer visibility in addition to mental health, neurodiversity, and disability advocacy/representation as a Detroiter in its robust art scene. Durden’s artwork was exhibited at SCOPE Miami 2021 and their solo exhibition, “I Feel Like I’ve Been Here Before” recently concluded in December of 2021. They are the co-founder of Paper Street Press Co, a zine press and distro uplifting artists’ own narratives.
ARTIST'S CONNECTION TO GR, THOUGHTS ON LIBERATION, RECLAMATION
Liberation – Fannie Lou Hamer said “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free” and I can’t say it better than that.
Reclamation – The idea/practice of reclamation’s ability to advance equity is ever-expanding, in terms of WHAT must be reclaimed. From land to power to our ability as individuals to make decisions regarding our own bodies.
This ultimately lends itself to our collective liberation.”