Featured Artist Series: Angga Tantama x Vapin Ape

At Vapin Ape, we’ve always believed the brand should feel bigger than a logo. A logo is a stamp; a character is a story. That’s the intent behind our latest artist activation with Angga Tantama—a Featured Artist Series built to bring our iconic ape face into a more dimensional, expressive world without replacing the core mark.

Turning the logo into a character you can follow

The brief to Angga was simple: take the familiar silhouette of our current face logo and evolve it into something with personality—something we can build on across strains, drops, and future campaigns. Think “collectible” energy (almost like an NFT set), but grounded in product storytelling: an ape that can show up in different moods, environments, and micro-narratives while still being unmistakably Vapin Ape.

‍

A big creative lever in this series is environmental storytelling—using reflections in the glasses, objects interacting with the head, and scene elements that cue the vibe immediately (before you read a single word).

Six themes. Six worlds. Infinite details.

Every artwork in the activation is built around a theme, and each theme has its own set of unique objects—small, intentional details that reward a closer look and make each piece feel like its own universe:

• Art — Creativity — Expression
• Crypto — Investment — Wealth
• Game — Entertainment — Young
• Music — Harmony — Joy
• Sport — Determination — Focus
• Ski — Flow — Cold

This is where Angga’s work shines: he doesn’t just decorate—he builds worlds. The objects aren’t filler; they’re narrative anchors that tell you what the ape is doing, how he’s feeling, and what kind of moment you’re stepping into.

Mood-led design, matched to product energy

We also tied the character concepts to “effects profiles” so each piece isn’t only visually distinct—it’s emotionally distinct.

Music / “Hang out and relax”
For Animal Mints, the concept leans into relief and calm: headphones, musical notes, and a laid-back “building a playlist” vibe—something you can almost hear through the artwork.

‍

Art / Creative tools in motion
For Grapefruit Durban, the ape shifts into maker mode—mixing physical and digital tools and weaving in subtle brand moments (like a notebook or pen featuring the Vapin Ape wordmark).

‍

Crypto / Trader energy
For Gelato, the theme becomes investment and web-native culture: crypto symbols, trading cues, and style details like a bucket hat featuring our logo—high-signal, modern, and a little bit flex.

‍

Expanding the universe: more faces, more scenes

This activation isn’t a one-off—it’s a system. The “Additional Faces” direction explores more activity-based concepts that let the character show up in new settings while staying consistent:

• Disc Golf: disc motion, the goal basket, a bag, a scorecard—plus lifestyle styling like a logo hat and collared shirt.
• Additional Faces
• Gaming (Rocket League): controller, mic, in-game elements, and even the idea of a Vapin Ape car with the logo on it.
• Additional Faces
• Snowboarding: outerwear, board/bindings, snow textures, lift pass, gondola/chairlift—cold-weather flow with a fully built environment.
• Additional Faces

The throughline across every piece: the ape stays recognizable, but the world changes—and that’s what makes this series scalable.

‍

Why this matters for Vapin Ape

Packaging is often where brands stop thinking and start shipping. We’re doing the opposite: treating packaging and product art as a living gallery. This activation is about building a visual language that:

1. Elevates the shelf presence (instant recognition + “I need to look closer” detail)
2. Lets each product feel like its own chapter (not just a new colorway)
3. Creates a platform for future collaborations (artist-led drops that collectors actually anticipate)

Angga Tantama’s style gave us exactly what we wanted: a character with personality, a world with depth, and a framework that can keep expanding as Vapin Ape grows.

‍

Explore more from Angga Tantama

• Website: anggatantama.com
• Social: Instagram | Facebook | X
• Email: anggatantama@gmail.com