08/28/2026
Few represent the innovative and communal spirit of the Dallas creative scene quite like Temi Coker, (Temi Coker) the 33-year-old multidisciplinary artist who is attracting the attention of global brands and audiences with his vibrant, layered designs that are deeply inspired by his Nigerian heritage.
While the world is calling (and Temi is certainly answering the call), he maintains Dallas as his homebase, running his namesake creative studio, Coker Studio, alongside his wife, Afritina Coker, and raising their children amid one of the most productive and collaborative Black arts scenes in the country. With Mark the Spot, a new travel series from VIBE & Rolling Stone, Temi is taking us along in the 2026 Lincoln Nautilus® Hybrid (Lincoln) to show us some of his favorite Black creative spaces throughout DTX. (Dallas Design District)
In ART, the first episode of “Mark the Spot,” Temi visits Pencil on Paper, a gallery and educational facility in Dallas’s Design District. The space—dedicated to uplifting and platforming Black art—is driven “by a desire to create intentional opportunities for artists, particularly those deeply invested in storytelling and experimentation,” says gallery director Dr. Valerie Bennett, (Dr. Valerie Bennett) who adds, “I wanted to build a space that could support artists beyond exhibitions by fostering dialogue, community, and creative growth.” Among the artists featured at Pencil on Paper is Dr. Bennett’s husband, painter Emmanuel Gillespie, (Emmanuel Gillespie) whose “Joy and Love” series depicts simple yet deeply profound moments of happiness in various eye-catching shades of blue.
Thank you, Rolling Stone and Temi Coker for this feature! It was such a pleasure meeting y’all! Jenny! Madeleine! Y’all are the best!!!! Much gratitude!
