Lycée Français
Artist-in-Residence 1999

Challenge

Lycée Français de Chicago is a private, French international school located in Chicago offering a dual French and English curriculum. Founded in 1995, the school exposes students from an early age to the value of critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. One of their major initiatives is an annual artist-in-residence program. Each year, the school brings in a world-renown artist who works with students to explore issues and experience discovery through art. The program culminates with a soirée to celebrate that year’s project and raise money for the school.

In 1999, the visiting artist-in-residence was Senegalese-born artist, art critic, and museologist, Ery Camara. Based in Mexico City, his professional work explored the intersection of art and multiculturalism, looking at the lenses through which different cultures are viewed and understood by others.

Mr. Camara’s theme for the project was Identifying the Other Through Language. The themes of language and culture provided the focal point for the year’s program, using as inspiration selected African stories, myths, and fables to create original works—drawings, ceramics, paintings, and textiles. My main task was to design a piece that reflected the visiting artist's approach and documented the students’ work—and make it bilingual.

Solution

During his residency, Mr. Camara spoke of himself as a guide, leading the students through a process of exploration and learning. In their artwork, they used many natural materials such as clay, rocks, and sand. I took inspiration from these mediums, using natural materials to create staged scenes representing the journey of the students and invited soirée guests. I worked with photographer, François Robert, to shoot photos of these setups, using the images as a foundation for overlaying constructed diagrams and encoded elements. The images were used on many of the event materials.

The main piece I created was a book containing the stories and poems that inspired the students’ artwork. For the design, I wanted to reflect the complicated history of Senegal, alluding to both its early history and indigenous culture as well as its period of French colonial rule. I drew upon historical book design and page layouts of the post-incunable period which corresponded with the time of colonization from the mid-15th century to the mid-20th century, using multiple structures from page to page visualized as boxes and rules. The content, however, constantly pushes up against the boundaries and breaks from the grid, representing the spirit of resistance of the people themselves.

Additionally, I designed an event invitation and RSVP for the soirée, along with event materials such as a commemorative poster, event signage, table cards, table numbers, and silent auction sheets.

My role: Strategy, Design, Copywriting