Community Highlight: Haider on Art, Basketball & Finding Your People

For Haider, creativity has always been a way to make sense of the world. From childhood experiments with drawing and building to digital illustration and animation, his practice is shaped by a curiosity about storytelling, sports, and the people who bring ideas to life. Through his recent illustrations for the Her Kai & I x Uncle Drew Collection, these interests converge in a celebration of creative expression and the communities that inspire it.

Creativity has been a part of your life since childhood. How has your relationship with art evolved over time?

Creating has always been integral to my identity. I was never someone who could sit still, and I’ve always looked for different ways to approach things. I’m a visual person, and art is how I process and interpret the world around me.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself returning to the perspective I had as a kid. The world can feel more negative as you grow up, and revisiting my childhood helps me reconnect with that openness and positive energy.

You began exploring digital art in 2020. What drew you to the medium?

My friends and family encouraged me to explore digital art, but I loved the permanence of traditional drawing. With pen and paper, every mark counts. Eventually, I was gifted a tablet, and I fell in love with the freedom to experiment without having to start over after a small mistake.

Studying graphic design in college pushed me further. I was surrounded by people with different levels of experience, and receiving their critiques was sometimes intimidating but ultimately fulfilling. It challenged me to learn from others and grow into my own creative voice.

Your interests span art, marketing, and sports. How do these worlds intersect in your work?

For me, it all comes back to storytelling. Marketing is about communicating an idea, but that purpose can get lost when we're constantly being told to buy things. I'm more interested in what a brand, athlete, or creative project is trying to communicate.

With sports, I want to know the stories behind the athletes. As someone from New Jersey, I feel a particular connection to athletes like Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith, who also have roots in the state. There's a sense of familiarity in seeing people from your own community succeed. You feel connected to their stories because you share something with them. That's what interests me about the intersection of sports, branding, and art: the opportunity to create something people can see themselves in.

What about basketball and its surrounding culture continues to inspire you?

Basketball is incredibly versatile. Like a pencil and a piece of paper, it offers endless possibilities, whether you're playing, watching, or exploring the culture and clothing around it.

I've also built meaningful relationships through basketball. There's a sense of kinship and brotherhood that can be difficult to find elsewhere. The game teaches you trust, coexistence, and collective effort, while also challenging you to think independently. Those lessons extend beyond the court and influence how I approach creativity and relationships.

Your recent illustrations for the Her Kai & I x Uncle Drew Collection bring together your interests in art and basketball. How do you approach creating work inspired by an existing collection or creative vision?

I think it starts with respect and understanding what you're contributing to. Her Kai & I is much more than a clothing brand; it's an initiative and a community. Asia and Kyrie often talk about finding your tribe, and those mantras resonate with me.

The Uncle Drew Circuit brought together people from different communities across cities and states. When creating work connected to that, I want to consider the people and experiences behind it.

I take a similar approach to my other art and animation. I look into the stories behind color artists, sneaker designers, and the creatives responsible for bringing designs to life. I want my work to complement not only the athletes, but also the artists shaping the culture around them.

What role has community played in your growth as an artist?

Community has been essential to my growth. When I started sharing my work, I received encouragement from creatives much further along in their careers. Seeing people take an interest in my work and help amplify it was incredibly motivating.

We all have different perspectives, and community allows us to share those perspectives, learn from one another, and understand different creative processes. I don't think my work would be where it is today without the support and feedback of my friends, family, and colleagues. They've helped me grow both as an artist and as a person.

What creative directions are you most excited to explore?

I'm especially excited about animation. It's something I've been drawn to since childhood, and I've been teaching myself and experimenting with it over time.

Saturday morning cartoons are a core memory for me. With AI increasingly entering the creative space, I think a lot about the value of the human touch. There's something meaningful about the time, intention, and imperfections in hand-drawn animation. People connect with those details because they make the work feel personal.

I'm excited to keep learning, experimenting, and making mistakes along the way. I don't need to master everything immediately. I just want to keep challenging myself.

What advice would you give someone who wants to create but is hesitant to share their work?

There's no time like the present. Putting your work out there is intimidating, and I felt that way, too. My friends and family encouraged me to start sharing, and one piece of advice from a college mentor has always stayed with me: you're going to create absolute garbage sometimes, and you should put it out there anyway.

My biggest piece of advice is to create more than you consume. It's easy to scroll through social media and compare yourself to other artists, but you won't know what you're capable of until you start. Give yourself permission to make mistakes, learn, and grow. You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin.