The Calendar Capturing Black Culture in Motion
Last month, DonYé Taylor debuted the “Black Standard Time Calendar” with pioneering painter Fritz Von Eric – this month they dive deep into their sold-out collaboration.
Art is all around us, yet it may not always look like us – at least, not in ways we’ve come to recognize ourselves.
When we look at art, we hope to see ourselves reflected. DonYé Taylor knows the importance of representation all too well, so she made it her mission to redefine how Black history is captured and celebrated through art.
Neely/@youngceophoto
Neely/@youngceophoto
Neely/@youngceophoto
Neely/@youngceophoto
Neely/@youngceophoto
Last month, the multi-hyphenate debuted her months-long passion project, the “Black Standard Time Calendar” – a creative collaboration with pioneering painter Fritz Von Eric. A month later, the duo meet up with Hypebae to discuss their contemporary take on cultural-defining moments of Black history.
View this post on Instagram
Since its initial February release during Black History Month, the “Black Standard Time Calendar” has since sold out on Nüclei – Taylor’s intellectual home decor brand. This comes as no shock to anyone, since the calendar, paired with commissioned paintings by Von Eric, reimagines pivotal moments from the past, present and future, along with visionary community leaders that transcend the ordinary. “I always felt like there was a disconnect between the life I lived as a Black person versus the life Black people live portrayed on TV, media and things like that,” Taylor shares. “I wanted to portray Blackness and Black excellence the way that I see it – [I don't want to solely] portray Black history through this lens of trauma, civil rights, bloodshed and struggle.”
After all, we are so much more than that. Our history is nuanced, a larger cultural tapestry defined by innovation and a willingness to look toward the future. But there are still meaningful opportunities to celebrate cultural figures from the past who paved the way, which the California-based creative thoroughly emphasizes: “I will never downplay the work the people that came before me did to even put me in a position to create this calendar.”
Von Eric played a pivotal role in uniting these narratives in a modern thread. A seasoned illustrator and painter, he’s disrupted NYC’s creative scene with a distinct visual language that explores the human experience. For the “Black Standard Time Calendar,” the Houston native lent his talents to recreate 12 painted pieces, featuring familiar faces, from Virgil Abloh as the first Black Creative Director of Louis Vuitton – and as the calendar’s cover – to Rihanna in her iconic Swarovski-adorned dress at the 2014 CFDA awards.
In the conversation below, Hypebae dives into the project with DonYé Taylor and Fritz Von Eric.
Keep scrolling for more.
How did the “Black Standard Time Calendar” come to be?
DonYé Taylor: I wanted to rebrand the visual aspect of Black history. I want people to honor the Black history that’s happening right now. [There's more] to Black History than the black, red, yellow and green color palette that we always see. To me, Black history is the day Chief Keef released “Love Sosa.” I remember when that music video came out, it was [truly] historic because he paved the way for the Chicago drill sound that occupies so much of what we listen to right now. I picked dates based on things I consider Black history and cemented me as a creative, so Virgil [Abloh] becoming the first Black Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. Rihanna and I also have Quinta Brunson on there as one of the dates because of what she did with “Abbot Elementary.”
Talk to me about collaborating with each other on this project. What was the creative dynamic like between you two?
Fritz Von Eric: Working with DonYé was a dream, but more than that it felt aligned. She embodies the kind of presence I’m naturally drawn to interpret: style with intellect, ambition with softness, vision with discipline.
There was an immediate trust between us. She gave me the freedom to reinterpret these pivotal moments in Black history and culture through my own visual language. That trust is rare. It didn’t feel transactional, it felt reciprocal. It was a true collaboration in the sense that we were both protective of the legacy, but open to reinvention in a fun and modern way.
DT: I’ve always been drawn to [Fritz's] work and the fact that he would draw these women with beauty marks on the left side of their mouth, and I have one on the left side of my mouth as well. The first time I saw it, I was like “Wow, this looks like a painting of me.” It’s very rare that you see yourself in art. I think that the way he portrays blackness in his art is how I see it in my head. It’s vibrant, it’s colorful and has a luxurious, avant-garde feel to it. He was the only person I could think of to do this project.
What was the process like from start to finish?
FVE: It began with conversation. DonYé came to me with an expansive list of moments, figures, and cultural shifts. The scope was ambitious and the timeline was tight. Once we refined the selection, I moved quickly and trusted my instinct. I began building the drawings immediately, establishing composition, posture, energy. From there, the paintings unfolded almost rhythmically.
DT: I had the idea for the calendar in July [of 2025] and I hit Fritz in August. We started around August 23, and I got the final piece of artwork from him around mid-November. It took about three and a half months – we were running a really tight ship but he also did it section by section. It was about three pieces every two or three weeks.
Fritz, what was the most challenging painting you created for this calendar? Which painting was your favorite to create?
Each piece carried weight. These are iconic, almost sacred moments in our collective history. My responsibility was to honor them without reducing them, to stylize them without losing their gravity.
[As for favorites,] the cover holds a special place for me. The Virgil piece felt effortless. It came together with a clarity that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes when I’m working on projects I can overthink, and I didn’t overthink at all with this one and I’m proud of it.
DonYé, before the “Black Standard Time Calendar” came to be, your breakout product under your brand, Nuclëi, was the “Brain Bank.” What was missing from the market, in your opinion, that inspired you to create both?
I realized I was kind of being a hypocrite. I was servicing so many other people through marketing, creative direction and consulting, I did not have any time to service myself. I forgot what it was like to create for me. When you’re a creative service provider you are contributing to someone else’s idea versus when you’re an entrepreneur and you have your own brand – specifically a product – it’s 100% you. I realized if I didn’t exit this cycle now, I’d always be at the mercy of someone else’s budget or someone else’s idea. I wanted to create something of my own that reflects the way I look at creativity and the world.
I’m really big on things having a philosophy, things having a nuanced meaning and I love the science behind things. That’s what inspired me to create Nuclëi. At the time, I was coming off of Forbes 30 Under 30 for my consulting agency and consulting is very “brain-focused.” It’s a lot [of] ideation, it’s a lot of problem-solving. People know me for the way I think, so that’s why I created the “Brain Bank,” because I believe your ideas are valuable and a form of currency.
Neela/@youngceophoto
Neela/@youngceophoto
What’s next for the both of you after this project?
DT: I was cooking up all last year. I’m not letting my foot off anyone’s next for the whole 2026. Actually, I’m launching a new product next month. I can’t say what it is but if you love, love, love matcha, you will love the next product. It’s specifically for the matcha lovers.
FVE: Expansion. An art book that feels archival and cinematic. A deepening of my practice on a larger scale, more immersive environments and my first solo exhibition.
This calendar was a moment. What’s next is the world around it.
