Aileen Herrera Ojeda is a Latina graphic designer based in Union City, New Jersey. Currently she is pursuing a BFA in Fine Arts, with a concentration in graphic design at NJCU. From an early age Aileen has always been drawn to art in general, but her continued passion led her to pursue it professionally. Her work draws heavy inspiration from retro and punk aesthetics, while keeping with very colorful and funky compositions, fonts and colors. As of right now Aileen is working on shifting the messaging of her work, wanting to make more work that includes her voice as a Latina.
Artist Statement:
Art has always been a part of me for as long as I can remember, learning and working in new mediums and forms of art as I got older like oil paint, charcoal, watercolor, ceramics, printmaking and of course graphic design. Graphic design is the one that stuck with me because it gave me a freedom that wasn't limited to what I could draw was exciting which furthered my passion for it. Although I work digitally, my works exists physically as posters, booklets, editorials, and packaging.
My work is heavily inspired by retro and punk themes, mainly from the 60’s up till the early 2000’s. As I am working on my messaging, I’ve started to become more inspired by the revolutions and protests that occurred during these time periods. Through my work, I love to explore diverse compositions as well as to play around with everything from photos, fonts, and colors. Taking much inspiration from fellow graphic designer, Kel Lauren and even photographer/director Sophia Coppola. As I am growing as a person and artist, my messaging is shifting from one that is pure aesthetics to one that centers around my identity as a Latina-American living in this currently reality of America. I want to mix my already established aesthetic with my newfound messaging.
The process of creating for me is pretty simple. Usually when given a prompt I immediately have ideas of what the final will look like, it’s just a matter of getting it done. Although already having ideas, I love to look for new design elements, effects, or even other works in the medium I am working in. With my work I hope to for audiences to enjoy and find pleasure with my aesthetics and find understanding and empathy with it as well.
I enjoyed reading your artist statement; it feels super personal, and I liked the honesty. I also really liked how you described the shift in your work from purely aesthetic to identity. It was interesting to read about how you're inspired by retro and punk themes.
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