Originally from Nigeria, internationally renowned artist, Yemi Fagbohun, opens up to share, “After high school, I decided to study art at a higher level because I understood that studying art in Nigeria would only take me so far because of technology. Even at a young age, I knew that. I decided to go overseas. It’s a long story, but I ended up at Pratt Institute, in New York, studying art. Of course, as a Nigerian kid I knew nothing about the world and I knew nothing about America. I just knew that America was overseas. It was really Divine intervention and guidance that said, ‘You’re going to pick Pratt.’” He could have chosen anywhere, but ended up picking one of the best arts colleges in the country in one of the biggest media markets in the country.
After earning both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Science in Art and Communications Design, Yemi decided to freelance. He recalled, “Again, I was blessed to get a lot of work in my first week out as a freelancer. Considering, in fact, I know I wasn’t that good then. As a young artist I don’t think I was in the right mind. I think I’ve gotten better as a mature artist. Art has to come from the heart. So, it turned out that I got all this work in the first week. That gave me the confidence to know, in fact, that I could do it as a freelancer.”
His confidence, and hard work, yielded exceptional results. Yemi has created drawings for more than 100 of the Fortune 500 companies, he has illustrated several children’s books and products (earning several illustration awards, including: ADDY’s and Illustrators Club Awards), he has created over 300 postage stamps for different countries (i.e. Ghana, St. Croix, St. Vincent, Gambia, Tanzania and more.), he has designed over 200 greeting cards with his designs having been sold in stores and shops of all sizes (i.e Target, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Duane Reade, etc.). Yemi has done work for the New York Times, New York Post, New York News Day, Newsweek, Time Magazine—his work has been internationally everywhere.
So when asked why he moved to Frederick, Maryland, he explained, “Initially, we moved here to Frederick about 26 years ago because we wanted to have kids and start our family…[professionally] I basically had to start from scratch. I decided I had to build a brand named Yemi in Frederick and then grow from there.”
One of ten children, Yemi shares a tight bond with his family, who are located across the globe. He recalls, “There were 10 of us. I’m number three and I’m the first boy. We were really close as kids. We never had sibling rivalry or conflict. Even today, we are all there for each other. We use What’s App to stay in touch. We have about 45 of us—kids and grandkids—on it. My mom, who is 94 years old, sends out a prayer every morning to all of us.”
Now rooted in the mountains near Cunningham Fall, Yemi has found his home. “I find Frederick to be better for my spirit than any other place that I have ever lived. When I lived in Nigeria, I never felt connected to the soil, the environment. In New York as well; it was good for business and contacts and networking, but it wasn’t good for my spirit and mind and body. I’m naturally shy… If you ask most of my friends, they would say I’m not shy. But I am…I live in the mountains…and it’s very peaceful.”
When asked about his art, Yemi explains his unique approach to his craft “I decided to never specialize in a style. When I was going to college, it was during the era of Bob Peak, Steve Pasalacqua, and the like. There were the biggest illustrators at the time, when movie posters were done by illustrators. There was no photoshop. The only way to do it was to use an illustrator. Each person had their own style.”
“One of my teachers said I should specialize in one style and that will be my brand style. That was unappealing to me. I liked the idea of doing different styles and being innovative. This choice has allowed me to make a living as an artist. I have been able to broadcast my broad abilities...I do many different styles. If you look at my social media, you’ll see a wide range of styles. I enjoy doing that. It would be boring to me to do just one style over and over again. Also, I’m eternally flexible. I’ve been doing this since 1984. I’ve been through many recessions and industries, which has made it a necessity to be flexible through the changing economies…I do things partly out of necessity and partly not wanting to be bored. I need to eat and pay the bills. I need to get food on the plate…The other thing is, you have to have some kind of longevity or angle…That’s the only way to survive in the world, where technology is constantly changing.”
As he reflected upon his career, Yemi shares, “One thing I would share with budding artists is to stay flexible. Put yourself in the shoes of the viewer. It sounds simple, but it’s not simple. Most artists like what they like. If you are flexible with the customer, that can drive you to innovate.”
And innovate is exactly what Yemi has done throughout the years of perfecting his craft. “I like to innovate,” he says. “I like to put art on glass. I have done this in buildings and offices. Then I started to put artwork of Frederick spires and other landmarks on glass ornaments. Then, in 2007, I found a local shop to sell 100 of them. They were so popular and I sold 600! The line has been expanded to other glass items with Frederick themes. And, then I’ve expanded this concept to custom glass art in other towns in the region. I use iconic images from each town. People feel good when the pieces remind them of warm and happy memories. When you have iconic images of the towns, you capture the hearts of the people because they can see themselves and relate to it.”
Yemi juggles 40-50 projects at any given time. Currently he is working on the Frederick Sports Mural which will be of historic nature and elevate tourism in Frederick. Expect the groundbreaking to take place in Spring of 2023, and the reveal of this world-record mural in Spring of 2025.
And if you want to experience his new African Americans of Excellence exhibit, an artistic collaboration with Emmy Award-winning videographer Russ Hodge of Three Roads Communications and local photographer Laura Sherwood, head over to the Gaslight Gallery. The African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society (AARCH) worked closely with Yemi to select the seven honorees featured in this inaugural, annual exhibit, to include: Rev. Rex Bowens, Tammy Davis, Ruth Dredden, Aje Hill, Jason Lee, Willie Mahone and Derek Shakleford. (See the Events section on page 56 for details.)
When asked what he would most want people to know about him, Yemi humbly replied, “The best we can do is to leave a legacy for our children, that our children are good and decent human beings who can pass it along to the next generation to make this a better country and better world...I was raised in a decent family. I love people. I love humanity. I love kindness. That’s just who I am. I love the work that I do. It’s a blessing to do what I do.”
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