Russell Abrahams
Russell Abrahams, aka Yay Abe, is a South African illustrator and muralist known for his bold lines, vibrant colors, and storytelling rooted in identity and joy. Working at the intersection of art, design, and culture, his work brings walls, packaging, and campaigns to life. His work always carries a pulse that is alive with color, culture, and craft.
Hi Russell! Tell us about yourself - how did you get to where you are today?
Hey there! I'm Russell Abrahams, better known as Yay Abe. "Yay Abe" was meant to be the name of the studio I wanted to create but my journey pulled me down the solo road. After freelancing as an illustrator for some of the top illustration companies around South Africa, I decided to work for myself in a sense. Running projects through a formal company kind of helped me realize the benefits of running solo. After almost 8 years of Yay Abe, with the first 4 years being the toughest hill to climb, things kind of fell into place. I think a huge role in this is Instagram and the incredible community I've built on that platform.
“I love the idea of creating my work using traditional tools. There's a freedom in it all that honestly makes me feel like a kid again.”— Russell Abrahams
When did you first become interested in art and design?
Ever since playing around on Photoshop as a 14 year old, I completely fell in love with the idea of creating digitally. I then found out about the advertising world and how illustration mixes with it all. It became my dream to be a part of the magical illustration world. By the time I reached university, I was pretty clued up around Adobe's software. Then, learning about design language and all the formal aspects to it really blew my mind. It's been a constant chase for the unknown.
How would you describe your design style and how has it changed over time?
My current work is a mix between contemporary art and Pop-African. There's a huge push towards simplicity and structure. For now, as I lean into the fine art world my works perhaps feel more like artworks. However, my commercial illustration work is also pretty bold and dictated by bold line work that creates patterns which are able to tell stories. There's a sweet spot between the two worlds.
What's your creative process like? How do you typically take an idea from concept to delivery?
I spend most of my time developing sketches. I think it's such an important part of the process. Crafting the sketch into a final rendered illustration is fun too, but it's always more labor-intensive. The idea is what I love crafting most.
How do you approach creative collaboration with your clients?
I've managed to gain the trust of my clients. They trust me to give their brand my best and that's what I promise. I used to get pretty upset when clients would push my work into a space that's not authentically me. But over the years, clients have let me do my thing which is always fun and also empowering.
What's been one of your favorite projects to work on so far? What would be a dream project?
As it stands, my favorite would probably be working alongside Adidas. We've painted massive towers, created clothing and have done workshops together which gave back to young designers. It's such an honest exchange, so they're probably a fave. A dream project that would make young Russ super proud would be to one day get a clothing collection alongside Adidas. Fingers crossed!
Do you have any favorite tools or resources? Where do you find creative inspiration?
Paint and brush is my favorite medium. As everything around us is pushing for digital, I love the idea of creating my work using traditional tools. There's a freedom in it all that honestly makes me feel like a kid again. It's been fun exploring and messing around with paint. Trying to mimic my vector work has been a great way to practice painting and creating. I pull inspiration from all sources, especially from walking the streets or even a good ol' Instagram scroll.
What's one of the biggest career lessons you've learned so far?
Showing your work to as many people as possible is the key to landing clients! DM, email, call or just post often. Being consistent with this can only lead to a fruitful journey.
What advice would you give to new designers and illustrators starting out in their careers?
Don't stress too much about style! Explore as much as possible :)
What are you working on now and what's up next for you?
Currently working on some personal paintings which are leading towards a solo show, and then also some corporate gigs soon with a clothing collection with the homies over at Good Good Good. :)
To view more of Russell's work, visit his Instagram or portfolio page.
Russell was nominated by Noun Project. All artwork courtesy of Russell Abrahams.