LANSING – Blight Hernandez is a master of turning everyday trash into something of value.
A Southwest Detroit native, Hernandez has called himself an artist since he was 6.
Now a full-time working artist for five years, his sustainable business is called Be The Light. It’s born out of intention and focused on higher consciousness, keeping things out of the landfill, and making things that people love, Hernandez said.
It’s not focused on trends, he said.
Hernandez started painting as a child and expanded to fashion textiles such as screen-printing, sewing and branching into interior design.
Hernandez said: “It was when I committed full-time as an artist that I was able to blossom and discover myself, which is the light.
“And I like to say that the light is within all of us. So, I thought that was a good foundation for a brand, because then … there’s no demographic.”
Through his brand, Hernandez said he’s able to “bridge the gap” by making art for everyone of all ages and genders. He reworks items for dogs and cats, too.
His projects reuse materials such as burlap sack bags, tapestries, woven blankets, swatches of fabric, curtains, rugs and a lot of denim. As a vegetarian, Hernandez said he tries to stay away from leather, but will accept it if it’s reused or donated.
Many of his materials are either directly donated to him or sourced from thrift stores and estate sales.
Hernandez said his favorite store is Arts & Scraps, a nonprofit that sells reused materials and educational resources to promote sustainability and creativity in Detroit.
Hernandez has a policy of “no waste behind whatsoever.” Even when using upcycled materials, the scraps from the trash go into another bin where they can still be used to make hats or rework shoes, he said.
Hernandez credits his grandmother for his artistry:
“She gave me those taste buds for the regal, the antique, the vintage, almost like Detroit Renaissance,” Hernandez said.
He describes his work as an extreme contrast between “kid and granny core.”
One piece of work that Hernandez said he is proud of and speaks to the idea of connecting people is titled “Truth Seeker.” Originally made from a child’s sleeping bag, the piece has been transformed into a pink, fuzzy pullover vest decorated with 3D felted flowers.
The front features bold cutout letters spelling “Truth Seeker,” while the back includes window-like cutouts with the phrase “Look inside – the truth is inside you.”
For this piece, “I tapped into my early childhood self,” Hernandez said.
“It’s poppy, it’s colorful — you get those nostalgic kid vibes. When people see it, they instantly smile. You know, no matter how old they are.”
Looking toward the future, Hernandez said: “I could see myself getting more into trash art, trash fashion, bottle caps, bottles, plastic bags” — items that otherwise would go to a landfill.
Hernandez is undertaking his first installation with Detroit Design Core, “Built to Last.”
“It’s going to be like the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my career,” said Hernandez.
“Funny, all the material I got to rework these clothes I got from Arts & Scraps. So, it continues to be a full circle thing.”
Maya Moore had an environmental reporting internship with Planet Detroit under the MSU Knight Center for Environmental Journalism’s diversity reporting partnership with GLISA/National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration in partnership with Capital News Service.
