Three posters for the Ohio Creative Center exhibition with floral line art, titles, and dates, hanging on a wall.

Poster Series

Project Objective

Design a series of posters for a fictional upcoming presentation featuring three poets. Each poster needed to stand on its own while still feeling cohesive. The project also encouraged exploration of physical techniques and materials to achieve the final design, rather than relying solely on digital methods.

My concept focused on the poets’ origins and the theme of Unbound Landscapes. I explored how nature appears within their writing and how those natural elements reflect their identities and perspectives. 

Research

Photos of poets for the poster series, (left to right) Russell Atkins, Kari Gunter-Seymour, and Yalie Saweda Kamara

Russell Atkins, born in Cleveland in 1962, writes through the lens of the city that raised him, reflecting on its spaces, rhythms, and lived experiences. Rooted between the American avant-garde and the Black Arts movement, he blends sound and image, treating writing as something to be seen as much as heard. His work explores fleeting human connection and the interaction between people and their environments, layering meaning through both poetry and music while continuing to compose alongside his writing.

Kari Gunter-Seymour likes to spread love and kindness as much as she can while simultaneously speaking her truths, being proud of who she is and what she believes in. She weaves stories of the important people in her life together. She is descriptive and honest, giving a voice to the Appalachia region of Ohio, with stories of people who grew up there, parts of their heritage, and the things they practice. She writes from a first-person point of view and “talks” in the Appalachian dialect she grew up around.

Ideation/Iteration

Heirarchy map for poster series, determining what is most important and what is least important.
Six rows of images showing collage and mixed media art projects. Includes cutting, gluing, and arranging paper and magazine letters, sketches, and painted or printed backgrounds with various textures and patterns.
Collection of art posters featuring the text 'unbound landscapes: ohio's poetic threads' with various colorful backgrounds and textures.

Final Version

Three posters hanging on a wall, each featuring abstract floral designs and textual information about art exhibitions, with the left poster titled 'RUSSELL AT KINS,' the middle 'KARI GUNTER SEYMOURE,' and the right 'VALIE SAWEDA KAMARA,' along with exhibition dates and contact details.

Yalie Sawed Kamara is not an Ohio native; however, she currently resides here and writes about her experiences in Cincinnati. She speaks on themes of resilience and rebellion, her work evokes deeper thinking and encourages readers to delve more into her stories. In her layout design, she breaks free from the norms and expectations.