Not Created Equal
2018, MFA Thesis

Researched and visualized segregation and inequality in Baltimore, Maryland

Thesis Critics: Jessica Helfand, J. Abbott Miller, Jeremy Hoffman & Silas Munro

Thesis Mentors: Ellen Lupton, Jennifer Cole Phillips, Jason Matthews Gottlieb, Minsun Eo & Abraham Burickson

Baltimore is an important site for a national story of inequality and segregation in the United States. Not Created Equal discloses median household incomes of 56 Baltimore neighborhoods in relation to the visual cues and graphic design that surround them. In the context of data visualization, numbers, just like images and words, can be framed to narrate a particular point of view. Graphic designers create contexts that will never be neutral and most definitely not universal.

Installing vinyl is a delicate labor of love that requires a lot of patience, especially if you are inexperienced, as I was. Thin, fragile and environmentally hazardous, it was the most OCD-friendly material I’ve ever worked with. It took 4 days to cut and install. Each letter was 3ft tall and installed in a 10ft x 17ft wall.

Exhibition was on display at MICA’s Decker Gallery from March 25 to April 11, 2018

Installing my thesis exhibition wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative effort of my amazing colleagues. Special thanks to Katja Flükiger, Potch Auacherdkul, Marisa Gomez and Dan Spurgin.

2020, The New York Times

2018-2019, Digital Design