By Linda Badger

Derek Hanneman has loved to draw since childhood. In high school, the other kids asked him to customize their sneakers with his intricate designs. He loved doing it and hoped to make art his profession.

Born in San Francisco, Hanneman has never been far from the ocean. He has lived in the City, Pacific Grove, Monterey and Mendocino County. His drawings began to reflect all the living things he had grown to love – gossamer jelly fish floating in the surf and towering redwoods rooted deep in the earth.

As an adult, Hanneman never stopped painting and drawing and developed his own style or brand of “living art.” His dream was to do something meaningful in his life involving his natural designs.

Building a foundation for his dream, Hanneman spent more than three-and-a-half years studying art, graphic design and business at Monterey Peninsula College, all the while never forgetting the joy he felt customizing his friends’ shoes. In 2014, he launched his own brand of wearable art. He named it “Engrafft.” The title says it all for Hanneman.

“Engraft means to instill,” he said. In horticulture, “grafting” refers to the act of placing a part of one plant onto another so that a new plant will be created when the two grow together.

“By making the art wearable, steadily implanting or ‘Engraffting’ art into/onto people’s minds and bodies,” Hanneman said he hopes “to inspire and make a permanent mark on the world.”

To bring Engrafft to life, Hanneman learned how to screen print clothing in a friend’s garage. He prints his designs by hand onto premium, super soft, unisex, T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies. He began selling them at street fairs, farmers markets and festivals up and down the California coast. Returning to his roots in San Francisco, Hanneman was a regular at the Outer Sunset Farmers Market and Mercantile where he was able to continue his business during the COVID-19 pandemic. He developed a following for his unique and stylish clothing.

The art Hanneman engrafts onto his clothing depicts other-worldly sea creatures, such as the elusive giant squid that hides in the deep sea and the umbrella-shaped Medusa jellyfish described as “immortal” because it regenerates after death. Other wonders of nature captured by his designs include trees with subterranean bundles of roots, fungi and the human brain with its countless furrows and folds. Continuing to evolve and grow himself, Hanneman’s designs are always changing, inspired by his interest in science and nature. Fascinated by the possibility of life on other planets, he recently added designs depicting extraterrestrial structures to the Engrafft line.

“Given the vast cosmos, it would be ignorant to think we are the only ones out there,” he said.

Engrafft also has a line of clothing depicting San Francisco landmarks. One of his most popular designs shows the majestic Golden Gate Bridge with “wire drips” or “root balls” plunging deep into the Bay. He has a similar design featuring the iconic Sutro Tower.

In 2021, Hanneman said he “took a leap of faith,” and opened his first retail store on Clement Street. He has deep roots on Clement. When he was a kid, he remembers his mom taking him to Wing Lee Bakery for pork buns and begging her to take him to the Sixth Avenue Aquarium store to see the sea creatures. He loves the “little big city” character of San Francisco, particularly the vibe, culture and small business coziness of Clement.

In his location on a quieter block of Clement, Hanneman has everything under one roof. In the back office, he has his “factory,” where he hand-screens all his clothing and art. In front is his retail space where he displays his creations. Working six or even seven days a week, Hanneman has built a successful business, although it has not been easy. The cost of doing business in San Francisco is challenging, but Hanneman has put down roots and plans to stay engrafted for as long as possible.

Engrafft is located at 934 Clement St. To learn more, visit engrafft.com.