Inspiring Black Artists
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UX Design is interdisciplinary in nature in that it involves understanding humans and the human experience, however is a field or position most commonly found in the world of design.
In bringing design to education I feel it is critical to be inspired and pull influence from interdisciplinary fields — especially from art and design.
Recently inspired by incredible artists sharing and promoting their work and other black artist’s work for black history month, I wanted to share several black artists I find inspiring.
Jade Purple Brown, Illustrator
Jade Purple Brown is an illustrator who uses “bold blocks of color and strong female figures” to create “dynamic art that encourages herself and others to be more optimistic and free” (Brown, 2019).
Jade has an incredible blog where she details her experiences and process on certain projects within her portfolio. Her images can be purchased on her web shop, and I highly recommend following her gorgeous and colorful instagram.
Follow Jade Purple Brown on instagram as @jadepurplebrown
Andrea Pippins, Illustrator, Author
Andrea Pippins creates “what she wants to see in art, media, and design” (Pippins, n.d). Her projects inspire and use color to capture your eye. You can find her books on amazon. Follow Andrea Pippins on instagram as @andreapippins
Eso Tolson, Creative Director and Handletter
Eso Tolson’s work provokes a sense of action and self-care resilience. I might want to buy his entire instagram feed for my wall. You can find his shop on his website. Follow Eso Tolson on instagram as @coolurbanhippie.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Author
Chimamanda is a highly decorated author including being a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. She shares a powerful voice and vision in her non-fiction writings on feminism and race — wonderful reads.
I recommend her ted talk, The danger of a single story, one of the most-viewed Ted Talks of all time. Check out her website for more info about her and definitely read one of her books.
Safiya Noble, Author, Educator
I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Noble speak as one of the featured speakers at Educause in 2018. Her books on how algorithms are oppressive, how the intersectional the internet is, and how emotions influence technology and design are great reads.
Check out her website to learn more about her and read about her research on intersectionality and technology.
If you are inspired by Dr. Noble’s work I recommend reading about Data4BlackLives, a non-profit committed to exposing how biased big data is and encouraging big companies like facebook to commit to a code of ethics.
References:
Brown, J.P. (2019). JPB. Retrieved from: http://www.jadepurplebrown.com/about
Nobel, S. U. (2019). Safiya U. Noble, Ph.D. Retrieved from: https://safiyaunoble.com/
Milner, Y. (2018).We urge Facebook to work with organizers, activists, technologists and data ethicists to establish and implement a Data Code of Ethics. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/@YESHICAN/an-open-letter-to-facebook-from-the-data-for-black-lives-movement-81e693c6b46c
Pippins, A. (n.d.). Andrea Pippins: Art & Illustration. Retrieved from: https://andreapippins.com/about
Tolson, E. (2019). Eso Tolson: Creative Direction, Handlettering. Retrieved from: http://esotolson.com/shop/
