citizen
Description
A collection of graphic projects based on Claudia Rankine's "Citizen" that explores the themes of micro-aggresion, identity, and anger through layout, typography, color theory, and more. When designing these posters, the primary obstacle was to find unique solutions to visually communicate stories of pain.
Project
Citizen
Year
2023
Tools
Adobe Photoshop
Poster 001
"Eyes of Judgement"
"Eyes of Judgement" explores micro-aggressions through subtle gazes that are not explicitly defined as aggression. Based on gender, appearance, and skin color, it is the feeling of unannounced judgement. The use of the human eye overlayed against a dark silhouette represents the feeling of being invisible, yet hyper-visible as a minority. Accordingly, the subtext presents the desire to be seen as an equal, detached from the imprisonment of race. The colors red and blue are used to symbolize the internalization of anger that is eventually released, despite a seemingly calm exterior.
Poster 002
"Identity"
"Identity" is a commentary on racism and an analysis on one's own identity. As Rankine explains, minorities are either invisible or hyper-visible, but never somewhere in between. The three figures on the left of the tear can be interpreted as looking directly at the man on the right, or right past him. This is a representation of how race contributes to a larger part of one's identity against a homogenous background. While most elements are in black and white, yellow is used as a border to symbolize the happiness that can be found within the unification of races.
Poster 003
"Silence"
Poster 3 is a literal depiction of the gaze felt within micro-aggressions. Even without verbal depiction, it is the feeling of a belligerent gaze that speaks louder than words, hence the title, "Silence." Being the final poster made in the Citizen series, the monochromatic design symbolizes a desensitization against anger and happiness. Rather, it is the realization that the world is often seen in black and white, and never in true color. The lettering of the title is made the largest to convey the volumes that even silence can speak. As the lettering becomes smaller, the gaze is enlarged to depict the disappearance of silence.