About Fabian
I’m Fabian Williams, an Atlanta-based visual and performance artist with a future-focused approach to my work, exploring themes of Black liberation, innovation, and joy. Born in Fayetteville, NC, I pull from a wide range of influences—commercial illustration, classic portraiture, hip-hop, and civil rights iconography—to address issues of race and the persistent exploitation of Black culture. My work seeks to normalize Blackness in ways that are both celebratory and thought-provoking, often inspired by the realism of Caravaggio and Norman Rockwell, but with a lens shaped by today’s racial, political, and social landscape.
Before stepping into the world of full-time artistry, I honed my skills in the advertising industry, working as a designer and art director for brands like Nike, American Express, Pennzoil, andVerizon—where I learned the dark arts of persuasion (for better or worse). My work extends beyond the canvas; I co-created the #Kaeperbowl mural campaign during Super Bowl 53, using art as activism, and contributed to the Big Facts Small Acts campaign to help engage Black and brown communities in staying healthy during the pandemic.
What are Fabioglyphs?
I am also the founder and creator of “Fabioglyphs,” a derivative of Kemetic/Egyptian hieroglyphics that I started using as my lazy grid. The lazy grid is a painting method where marks are laid on a wall. Then a translucent image is then laid over the marks so you can see the image and marks, making it a map. I developed “fabioglyphs” to put an additional layer of meaning on all of my art. It's like when you press command + U on a browser, and you see the source code, like those scenes in the matrix. Consider it my meditative practice, like my visual prayer before I begin the work. Sometimes I spend more time than I'm supposed to curating the messaging, as I believe somebody might pick up on what I'm putting down. Can you dig it?
Bold Statements
My art has been featured in The Guardian, BBC, L.A. Times, New York Times,Playboy, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, SB Nation, Bloomberg, The Root, and more. You can find my murals across Atlanta and beyond, making bold statements in public spaces.
A Tribute Well Earned
In addition to creating the original poster and key art for Former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th Birthday Celebration at The Carter Center and The Fox Theater, I recently completed a commemorative mural in tribute to the late Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter in the Delta Concourse at the Atlanta International Airport.