Post 1: INTRODUCTION

Hi, I'm Angelica. Graphic Designer who creates bold and minimalist designs.

Self Portrait

Abandoned: Oil Paint on Canvas 34''x54'' December 2024

I chose my first oil painting that I created as my “self-portrait.” 

This was a project given to me in Experimental painting. The objective was to create a concept and use AI to generate the image (hence the 2 doorknobs), then paint the image so it no longer looks like AI. Upon finishing this project, I took a step back to look at it and realized.... This is a self-portrait. My original concept was this empty desk to represent an artist (myself) that has many concepts but does nothing with them or eventually just gives up and never completes anything. Then I realized the door with the doorknobs was my choice and my decision for which door I am going to open. Am I a graphic designer? Or am I an artist? Am I both? Can I be?  

All images are part of a branding/packaging for mock brands.

Use link to check out full branding suites:

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Graphic Designers that influence me:

Yossi Lemel and Shigeo Fukuda  

 

 

Who am I as an artist?

I am a graphic designer and newly found concept-driven artist who loves creating work that combines thoughtful design with meaningful storytelling. My current focus is on branding and packaging for bold, expressive brands, where I use playful visuals and vibrant elements to grab attention and spark joy. Although lately, I’ve opened myself up to the world of conceptual art. I have been diving deeper into projects that challenge societal norms and make people think. This shift has been an explorative way to begin to merge my skills in graphic design with my passion for creating work that feels impactful and thought-provoking. 

 

I’m deeply inspired by designers like Yossi Lemel and Shigeo Fukuda, who are masters of using simplicity and minimalism to convey powerful, complex messages. Their ability to address social issues like environmental degradation and consumerism through striking visual storytelling resonates with me and influences my own creative process. I admire that their works are so minimalistic yet so powerful and bold. Like them, I want my work to be more than just visually engaging; I want it to advocate for causes that matter to me, like women’s rights, civil rights, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare. 

 

I have spent most of my time designing bold branding, because I love the use of color and organic elements. I find it fun to bring brand to life. Although, after exploring with creating conceptual art in the last few months I’m motivated by the idea of using art and design as tools for change. I enjoy crafting work that encourages people to pause, reflect, and engage with the world around them. I am currently on the journey to finding that balance between aesthetics and activism; design that not only looks good but also makes an impact. 

 

 

 

Quotes from Susan Sontag:

“Photographs are as much an interpretation of the world as paintings and drawings are."  

Graphic design, like photography, is a way of interpreting and shaping how people see the world. Through bold visuals, typography, and strategic composition, designs provide a lens through which people can view complex social issues or even a brand's identity. Just as photographers choose what to frame, how to light, and what story to tell, I as a graphic designer, can make intentional choices to convey meaning, evoke emotion, and spark dialogue. 

 

"To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed. It means putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge—and, therefore, like power." 

This quote relates to my practice as a graphic designer because design, like photography, involves appropriating and reframing elements of the world to create meaning.  For example; taking societal issues, cultural symbols, or branding elements and interpreting them through design to communicate specific messages. This process gives designers the ability to shape how people perceive and interact with the world around them.