artecnica + studio lin: homeboy bags

‘homeboy bags’ is the collaborative project of artecnica, studio lin, and homeboy industries

the newest project in their ‘design with conscience‘ initiative, our friends at artecnica present ‘homebody tote bags’, a collaborative endeavor with american designer alex lin of studio lin and the US-based gang intervention resource program homeboy industries. the canvas tote bag series features calligraphy designed and screen-printed by ex-gang members.

the designs reproduce maxims of the homeboy industries program itself, all meant to draw awareness back to the social issues that drive young people to gang membership and to the difficulties ex-incarcerates face in trying to resettle into normal life.

the other four screen-printed designs

homeboy industries itself offers interventional services ranging from counseling to tattoo removal to tutoring, for 12,000 ex-gang members and at-risk youth in los angeles, california. the organization also provides a transitional job, training and skills, and supportive community to these individuals through employment in its bakery, restaurant, and silk-screening and embroidery facilities.

detail on the bag interior and label

printed by homeboys in the homeboy industries silk-screen studio, each tote bag is accompanied by a newsletter that contains information about the program’s members, in addition to full-size posters of the bag designs. as homeboy ‘fabian’ insists: ‘we too need to be heard, our work needs to be seen’.

the bags are modeled

a percentage of all sales from ‘homeboy bags’ goes back to homebody industries.