AfriCOBRA Identity Systems

Exhibition Design, Branding, and Publication
Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami + Biennale Arte 2019
Curator: Jeffreen M. Hayes, Ph.D.

 

Over a series of exhibitions and a publication, I developed the unified visual identity system for AfriCOBRA: Messages to the People (2018), AfriCOBRA: Nation Time (2019), and the accompanying catalog published by MOCA North Miami. These projects celebrated the 50th anniversary of AfriCOBRA—the artist collective that helped define the visual language of the Black Arts Movement—and brought their work to both national and international audiences, culminating in their historic presence at the Venice Biennale.

 

My role spanned brand development, exhibition graphics, catalog design, and storytelling across platforms. The design journey began with reimagining the original hand-drawn AfriCOBRA logo from their 1970 exhibition Ten in Search of a Nation. I modernized the mark while preserving its spirit, linework, and rhythmic weight—creating a contemporary version that honored the past. This new identity was embraced by the collective’s living artists and became a visual through-line across exhibitions and print.

 

For Messages to the People, I expanded the identity by incorporating pattern systems drawn from Wadsworth Jarrell’s Prophecy (1974), allowing the shapes to radiate outward from the logo in waves—mirroring AfriCOBRA’s ongoing influence. The resulting mural-scale exhibition logo became a centerpiece of the show. At the Venice Biennale, I designed a sister logo for Nation Time, balancing Biennale’s requirements with MOCA’s desire for continuity—ensuring both distinction and visual lineage between shows.

 

The exhibition catalog—designed in collaboration with the publication team—featured my logo on the cover and included my contributor bio. Across these three expressions, the identity system connects print, space, and historical narrative into one unified design language.

 

This body of work is among the most meaningful of my career, honoring the artistic heroes who shaped my own education at Howard University and contributing to the preservation of their legacy through design that is both reverent and alive.