Today we’d like to introduce you to Facundo Yebne
Hi Facundo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1978. After earning my engineering degree in 2001, I focused on building successful businesses, first in Argentina and then in Miami. In 2007, I moved to Miami with just a suitcase and my Frenchie, Machito, ready to take on a new challenge. I started transforming small apartment buildings into condo hotels—the same business I had been doing in Buenos Aires, doing Airbnb, before Airbnb existed.
In 2011, I founded Design Suites Miami, growing it in a few years to managing over 500 condos and creating jobs for hundreds of people.
Art was never in my plans. But in early 2024, I went to pick up my longtime friend, Jack Amoroso, a 94-year-old amazing painter, and when he showed me his studio, I had a butterfly attack, a rush of emotions that hit me all at once. I turned to him and asked if he would teach me. He didn’t answer right away. A few days later, he asked if I was serious, and I told him, “YES. I don’t know if painting will be my thing, but learning from you would be priceless.” He agreed to take me on as his apprentice.
I soon realized that painting on canvas wasn’t my thing, so I started experimenting with glow-in-the-dark materials, neon lights, and eventually, rubber ducks. The ducks—symbols of happiness and nostalgia—became my way of expressing joy, love, and resilience. The ideas kept flowing, and I quickly realized I had found something special.
Later that year, despite going through personal losses and challenges, I applied to Art Basel shows and was accepted into Red Dot Miami just two months before the event. I created and exhibited 24 pieces, and the response was overwhelming. People connected with my work, sharing their childhood memories and personal stories about rubber ducks.
Since then, I have have my arrt at Duck World Miami, located at 1622 Washington Ave, Miami Beach. I have also donated pieces to the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Miami LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.
Now, I’m expanding into public art projects, including a potential one for Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. My goal is simple: to spark joy, connection, and conversation.
Some people say I’ve created a new artistic language, transforming a simple object into something meaningful. I think so too, and this is just the begining of my road.
Quack! 🦆
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As an artist, the main challenges I’ve faced so far are, first, that no one has ever done exactly what I’m doing. There was no blueprint for creating art with rubber ducks at this scale, so I had to invent my own techniques and figure everything out quickly—especially with the tight timeline leading up to Red Dot Miami.
The second big challenge has been the supply of ducks. Even though they are a mass-produced item, finding the exact colors, sizes, and quantities I need has been a struggle. There are no major U.S. manufacturers producing them in bulk, or at least none that offer the variety I require. To put it in perspective, a medium-sized piece using mini resin ducks can require 3,000 ducks, while my largest one so far used nearly 6,000. When creating an artwork, you might need hundreds or thousands of a single color—but only a few of another—so sourcing them efficiently is a challenge.
To overcome this, I ended up ordering 71,000 mini resin ducks from my vendor in China, ensuring I had enough of the 32 colors I needed, plus extra for specific projects. Producing a single artwork takes thousands of ducks—and a lot of patience!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about FLY Miami Art?
I’ve specialized in Ducking—creating art with ducks—and I’m the only artist in the world doing what I do. Many people call me “The Duck Man” because I communicate through ducks, building entire creations out of them. Each piece speaks to people in a deeply personal way, connecting with their memories, emotions, and experiences.
What sets me apart is that this isn’t just art—it’s a new artistic language. My work transforms small, simple ducks into something that evokes nostalgia, sparks conversations, and brings people joy.
Readers should know that I’m here to stay—this is just the beginning. Like everything I do, I’m all in, and I approach my art with the same passion and dedication that I’ve applied to every stage of my life. Years of building businesses, managing hundreds of people, and overcoming challenges have shaped me into someone who fights for what matters.
Through my art, I want to show that there is always a bigger picture—that loss can be a win if you learn from it, and winning can feel like losing if it comes at the expense of others. That’s why pieces like Peace, We All Need Some or my Peace and Love symbol—a heart combined with the peace sign—carry deeper meaning. Small actions create a ripple effect, and at the end of the day, how we impact others is what truly matters.
As for my work, I create pieces as small as 8×8 inches and as large as 60×60 inches. At Red Dot Miami, I had multiple requests for commissioned pieces, and I thrived in that process—working closely with each patron to select the paint color for the background, the ducks that would compose the piece, and the best combinations to bring their vision to life. My journey will take me to many places, but I remain grounded in who I am and where I come from. I am grateful for my accomplishments, and my mission is to create art that makes an impact in people’s lives in every way I can.
So throw it my way, and I’ll make it—with ducks.
Quack! 🦆
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Honestly, my childhood is a bit blurry, especially after losing my brother. But one memory that always stands out—and that my friends and I still talk about—is the halfpipe in my backyard.
Since my two brothers and I were only a year apart, all of our friends would gather at my place to play soccer, baseball, and then skate or roller on the halfpipe. It became the ultimate hangout spot, where we spent endless hours just being kids, pushing limits, and having fun. Those moments of laughter, competition, and pure adrenaline are some of the best memories I have.
Pricing:
- From 200 small pieces like Mini trump or the hearts and portraits am doing for Valentines day
- From 750 for the Duck Tinis, a Martini glass made with Glow in the Dark Ducks, and filled with other color of them, adding an awesome effect when exposed to UV light
- From 1200 for the Cards or Flagwhere all the art work is covered by mini resin Ducks, or the ones with UV light incorporated like the Pac-Mans
- From 2000 for the ones made with Rubber ducks in sized from 24 by 24 for the peace sign, or 40 by 30 for Spider-Quack (Spider-Man), Pi-Quack-Chu (Pikachu), or Trump
- From 3000 for the bigger pieces made with mini resin duck, where the size is large and the complexity is major and the quantity of Ducks is over 2000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flymiami.art
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flymiami.art
Image Credits
Myself!
