Sergio Farfán’s cubistic-pop paintings hang on walls all over the world. Now his name hangs on a plaque adorning his alma mater’s wall of fame. 

Back in September, Sergio was one of four new additions to the Leyden High School Alumni Wall of Fame, where he joins the ranks of notables including two-time Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach Mike Shanahan and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jonathan Cain, the longtime keyboardist with "Don't Stop Believin'" hitmakers Journey. 

“It means a lot,” says Sergio, one of 13 artists exhibiting with Vertical Gallery at next month’s Aqua Art Miami. “I'm not making this up, but I remember walking into the school, seeing the wall of fame and thinking ‘I don't know how I’m gonna do it, but I'm gonna make it to that wall someday.’ And I did it.”

West Leyden High School, located roughly 15 miles west of downtown Chicago in suburban Northlake, Ill., played a transformative role in Sergio’s life and career. When long-simmering mental health issues dramatically intensified during his freshman year, West Leyden officials steered Sergio towards art therapy, which utilizes creative expression as a means to address negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The impact was seismic.

“I always had anxiety, but I never really had depression before my freshman year,” Sergio recalls. “Art was how I learned to cope. It gave me confidence, and eventually, it took over. I dropped everything else to dedicate my life to art.”

Sergio’s talents flourished under the tutelage of West Leyden art teachers Steve Lappe and Carolne Felix, and in his junior year he claimed first-place honors in the 2013 Congressional Art Competition, traveling to Washington, D.C. to view his work on display inside the Capitol Building. 

“Mr. Lappe and Ms. Felix are the ones that really pushed me to become an artist,” Sergio says. “I remember Mr. Lappe once purposely splashed paint on something I was painting, and said ‘Work with it.’ He wanted me to be creative, you know? As long as I did my assignments, they never forced me to follow the rules. They always let me do my own thing.” 

Eleven years after graduating from West Leyden, Sergio continues to do his own thing. In addition to solo exhibitions in Chicago, Miami, Tampa and New York City, he’s collaborated with brands including Delta Airlines, Four Loko and the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. The latter partnership caught the attention of West Leyden English teacher and basketball junkie Victor Giordano, who along with Lappe and Felix led the charge to immortalize Sergio via the school’s wall of fame, which recognizes outstanding graduates and offers role models for the next generation. 

West Leyden and its Franklin Park, Ill.-based counterpart East Leyden High School feted Sergio and his fellow Alumni Wall of Fame inductees with a ceremony and reception commemorating their achievements. All four honorees also spoke to students at both schools.   

“The most important thing I told them — and I tell this to a lot of people — is to be patient. Stick in your own lane, and don’t focus on others. Because when you compare yourself to other people, it drives you down,” Sergio says. “When I was in high school, people were always comparing me to other artists that were quote-unquote better than me, and I never paid attention to that. I only ever cared about what I truly want to do, and I feel like that's what got me to where I am today.” 

Vertical Gallery will feature 12 new paintings from Sergio Farfán (@farfanart) at Aqua Art Miami, which runs December 3-7. Email sales@verticalgallery.com for the collector preview.