Yusef Ferguson
Born and raised in Atlanta, Yusef Ferguson has been surrounded by art his entire life. From the early influence of his grandfather’s paintings that hung in his childhood home, to a transformative trip to Morocco, Ferguson’s passion for art has been fueled by familial relationships and cultural ties.
“I want to express myself. (Film) makes me feel good (and) helps me understand the world around me, and so I’m going to pursue this,” Ferguson says. “It also gave me a sense of direction, a sense of purpose.”
A recipient of the 2025 Visual Arts Fellowship recipient from the Greater Columbus Art Council and Columbus Museum of Art, Ferguson utilizes film and teaching to express himself.
Introspective lens
Using a variety of digital lenses, Super8 Film, and even an iPhone camera, Ferguson uses an out-of-the-box method to film, often pushing the limits of how film can capture a specific defining moment in time.
Ferguson frames stories that expose audiences to Black culture and with ties to the Diaspora, connecting his film to personal experience or passive symbolism.
But You Don’t Wanna Die, a film by Ferguson, features major 2020 events in Atlanta, including police brutality protests and the COVID-19 pandemic. The film is accompanied by a poem written by Ferguson, confronting the sensationalism of his once-beloved community, dealing with loss and coming to terms with leaving to pursue film.
Yusef Ferguson
Next lessons
After receiving his Master of Fine Arts in film and video from the California Institute of the Arts in 2024, Ferguson was nominated and applied for the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design post-graduate teaching fellowship, which placed him at Columbus College of Art and Design.
In his film classes, he shares the lessons he has learned to encourage students to try new things.
“I’ve always told my students, ‘I learned the rules so I could break them,’” Ferguson says. “I’m in that point in my career or journey where I feel a lot more confident in breaking them, because I know why I’m doing the things that I’m doing, and I know what intention it’s supposed to serve.”
To view more of Ferguson’s work, visit www.yusefferguson.com.
Maggie Valentine is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
