JC Rivera

JC Rivera is a Puerto Rican-born, Chicago-based contemporary artist who has spent over a decade building one of the most iconic street art brands in the country. His signature character, the Bear Champ, is a droopy-eyed yellow bear wearing bright red boxing gloves with a small white crown hovering above his head. The Bear Champ is at the heart of everything JC does. The character stems from Rivera's own childhood dream of becoming a boxer, a profession his mother vetoed as too risky, and reflects the many times his own dreams were discouraged. As Rivera has explained, he created the bear as a boxing bear, beat-up, tired of all the punches life throws, but still going. That resilience is the core of his message: his work is built around the rallying cry to "Roll with the Punches," helping both children and adults see through tough times, no matter what comes their way. 

JC Rivera has worked as a cartoonist, toy designer, and graphic designer, showcasing his art in galleries, on street walls, and online. He is the most prolific street artist in Chicago, with more commissioned murals than any other urban artist in the city, and his work has expanded well beyond Chicago's walls with collaborations alongside brands such as Adidas, McDonald's, American Express, the Chicago Bulls, and the Chicago Bears, as well as an international project with Real Madrid's charitable foundation. His work has been featured and exhibited at Vertical Gallery in Chicago and has appeared in publications including Juxtapoz and the Chicago Sun-Times. Collectors can shop prints, merchandise, and originals at thebearchamp.com and jcrivera.com, and follow his ever-growing body of work on Instagram at @jcrivera. Toys and collectibles by JC can of course be found right here on this page!