Cbabi Bayoc is an illustrator living in St. Louis, Missouri known for his colorful, caricature-like style and focus on Black life, music, and family. Born Clifford Miskell Jr., he changed his name while studying art at Grambling State University in the 90s. Cbabi stands for Creative Black Artist Battling Ignorance, while his last name, adopted later, stands for Blessed African Youth of Creativity.
Throughout his career, his work has been paired with music, one of his first major clients as an illustrator being Rap Pages Magazine. His art has been collected by celebrities such as Prince, Morgan Freeman, Lauryn Hill, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes.
In 2012, his “365 Days with Dad” series gained attention online for highlighting experiences of Black fatherhood. Bayoc is a community and activism-oriented artist, illustrating multiple children’s books focused on celebrating Black families and resisting racism, and creating murals celebrating diversity in over 17 schools.
