Black by Design the Exhibition
- 16 hours ago
- 4 min read
Curated by Zaire McPhearson featuring Brentae Holmes, Michael Dupuy, Joanna Henry, and Zaire McPhearson
Exhibition Overview
Black by Design is inspired by Here Where the Black Designers Are by Cheryl D. Miller, a text that calls attention to the persistent absence of Black graphic designers within dominant design histories while affirming their foundational role in shaping the field.
This exhibition reflects a reality long overlooked: Black designers have always been here—producing, influencing, and redefining visual culture, even within structures that have historically refused their recognition. The works presented honor those who have paved the way while foregrounding contemporary practices that continue to expand the language of design. In doing so, the exhibition considers not only what has been excluded, but what becomes possible when these voices are centered.
Each artist engages this idea through a distinct lens, informed by lived experience and design practice. Together, the works form a living archive of Black creative presence. Memory, family, and lineage emerge as sites of reflection and grounding; religion and cultural experience shape other approaches; and, in some works, histories of restriction, movement, and survival are confronted more directly, including those tied to histories of Black mobility in the United States.
Across the exhibition, these varied approaches exist in dialogue—layering narrative, form, and visual language. The works hold the weight of the past while articulating the present and imagining new futures. In this continuum, Black graphic design is not positioned as peripheral, but as central—asserted, expansive, and enduring.
Zaire McPhearson
Zaire McPhearson is a multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, and educator, and an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Winston-Salem State University. Her work explores Black identity, place, and visual culture through design. Drawing from personal archives, cultural memory, and community narratives, she reimagines how Black life is seen and experienced, with a focus on joy, presence, and visibility within the Black experience.
McPhearson examines design beyond traditional graphic design, focusing on how it exists within everyday life. Inspired by Here: Where the Black Designers Are, this body of work centers location as a framework—pinpointing specific places and using typography to explore presence, visibility, and meaning. Through collage and mixed media, she brings together fragments of Black bodies and imagery—layering pieces of different individuals to construct singular compositions that hold multiple stories at once. Through this approach, she invites viewers to consider design as something lived, embedded in environments, and shaped by Black experiences.
Brentae Holmes
R. Brentae Holmes is a Greenville, SC-based graphic design artist whose work explores visual storytelling through a blend of Renaissance-inspired composition and modern design sensibility. Drawing from the classical principles of harmony, proportion, and intentional form, Holmes creates bold, considered works that invite viewers to find meaning in both the immediate impression and the craft beneath it. Rooted in over eleven years of practice, the work sits at a deliberate intersection of timeless structure and contemporary energy. Holmes is currently developing a series that deepens the dialogue between historical artistic tradition and modern visual expression, examining how the elegance of the past can shape the way we experience design today.
Michael Dupuy
Michael is a Virginia-based graphic designer with a passion for creative problem
solving. Drawing inspiration from music, anime, video games, and the richness of Black culture and experience, his work seeks to capture the intricacies of life in bold and meaningful ways. Through dynamic visuals and thoughtful details, Michael transforms ideas into designs that reflect both personal stories and universal messages, especially those found in music’s rhythm and the emotions of life. He is a Virginia Tech alum and the founder of The Peenut Gallery, LLC., a graphic design firm that provides visual communication services for other artists and small businesses. His work has been featured in several art shows and galleries along the east coast including the Hunnid Dolla Art Fair in Charlotte, North Carolina and Roots in Washington, D.C. Participating in shows like these have led him to connect with other amazing artists and land pivotal gigs in his career. Michael also spends time educating children about the principles of art and design as an instructor at iDTech. He always believed that teaching is the best method to learning. His animated personality helps him view art and design in a lively and uncanny way, and he translates that into his process and his work by creating fresh and unique compositions. Lately, he has been experimenting with mixed media especially with incorporating spray paint on his prints of his digital designs. He values the enjoyment of being present and aware of his personal interests and influences. Michael believes he can inspire and lead a new movement with the help of his closest friends, authentic perspective, and curiosity towards new creative ideas and concept.
Joanna Henry
Joanna Henry is a multidisciplinary artist and curator based in South Carolina.
She graduated from Winthrop University in 2011 with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts with a
concentration in painting and drawing. Additionally, she has her Masters certification in Arts
Management from the University of Massachusetts: Amherst. Currently Joanna works with
the Catawba Indian Nation as their Artist Development Specialist in their Cultural Division.
Where she curates exhibits, and coordinates opportunities for tribal artisans.
As a child, Joanna grew up in a Caribbean household while experiencing African American
culture. Through her artistry, she analyzes her lived experiences, the connection between
her Caribbean heritage and Black culture. She uses contextual resources such as family
photos, shared oral histories, and Caribbean pottery to create work that depicts the lives
and cultures that influence her. Her approach is intentional and narrative-driven, using art as
a means to reclaim and affirm Black experiences, histories, and voices.
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