Johni Bleu
From Canvas to Camera: Two Acclaimed Visual Artists Reunite on National Television
South Carolina – They couldn’t be more different on paper: Johni Bleu, a self-taught portrait artist from Georgia with a soulful gaze and a quiet precision to his brush, and Frankie Zombie, the Brooklyn-born visual powerhouse known for bold colors, vivid shapes, and graffiti-streaked energy. And yet, watching them side by side on Magnolia Network’s hit series Artfully Designed, it’s almost eerie—like they grew up in the same house, finishing each other’s sentences and feeding off the same creative flame.
The duo’s reunion on last night’s episode was more than a feel-good TV moment—it was a celebration of artistic chemistry forged over years and across state lines. Though their official meeting happened over six years ago in South Carolina, both Bleu and Zombie admit they probably crossed creative paths long before that, moving through similar artistic circles, each leaving behind their distinct mark.
Their creative partnership has since blossomed into a dynamic fusion of portraiture and pop-art abstraction, seen in murals, gallery installations, and private commissions from coast to coast. Most notably, they collaborated on a mural for J. Cole’s Dreamville Tour, blending Frankie’s electric shapes with Johni’s emotive realism into something fans described as "visual music."
“It’s wild how art brings people together,” Johni Bleu said during the show, sitting across from Frankie. “We came from different worlds, but somehow, we speak the same visual language.”
Frankie Zombie couldn’t agree more. “Johni’s got that vibe, man. Always good energy. Always real,” he said with a grin, as the two exchanged laughs and playful jabs about who takes longer to finish a piece.
What stood out to viewers wasn’t just their art—it was how deeply it resonates in every fiber of who they are. Their clothing choices, body language, even the rhythm of their speech reflect the same expressive spirit that pours into their canvases. Individually, they don’t just present art—they embody it.
Since their initial collaborations, the two have taken time to explore their individual paths. Johni Bleu focused on intimate commissions and solo portrait series, while Frankie brought his color-forward vision to public art installations and design projects. But no matter the distance, they’ve always circled back—whether for a quick collab or a high-profile mural.
The episode of Artfully Designed was filled with laughter, stories, and behind-the-scenes footage of a new joint piece created exclusively for the show. A portrait wrapped in an explosion of abstract shapes, the work perfectly captured their ongoing creative conversation.
Season 2 Episode 8 of Artfully Designed is now available for streaming on HBO Max via the Magnolia Network.