I am a creative director & graphic designer, running my freelance business Abi Wright Design, focusing on print, digital and exhibition design. I recently co-founded, designed and built Blk Art Map, the definitive guide to Black visual art and design in Britain.
My most recent projects include;
The National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station - Display Design
War Inna Babylon at ICA, London - Exhibition design, creative direction, social media design
I Am Curious, a KS3 resource for Tate Britain / Modern, in collaboration with POCC.
Recent clients include;
The Art Fund, Runnymede Trust & Freeland Foundation, UP Projects, Prison Radio Association & Hackney Council / Create London, ITV, and the Kings Fund.
I recently worked with POCC agency to design and illustrate "I Am Curious", a learning and engagement resource for primary school children, for Tate Britain and Tate Modern.
I was featured in Pinterest UK's Black to Z campaign, curated by Irene Agbontaen in collaboration with Elephant Room, an event celebrating 26 Black businesses in the UK.
I created Black Womxn In Design, an event and panel celebrating the achievements of British Designers for IWD 2019. Hopefully returning in 2023.
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Curatorial work, exhibition production and creative direction:
My curatorial debut: CWMC: The London Riots 2011 @ C.A.M.P; AACDD @ OXO Tower, part of London Design Festival 2011-2016; AACDD x Punch Records @ Centrepoint, Birmingham 2017; Featured in Thick/er Black Lines: We Apologise For The Delay To Your Journey @ Tate Modern 2017, and later Somerset House (as part of Get Up Stand Up Now), 2019; and Tate Britain - a pop-up salon style exhibition, “Digital Portrait Salon” curated by Gabrielle Smith as part of Tate’s Late at Tate series entitled “Cut and Colour”, 2018.
Exhibition & trade-show participation:
AACDD @ OXO Tower Wharf 2011-2013; Supermalt Art Exhibition 2014; Maison et Objet, Paris 2014; International Contemporary Furniture Fair, NYC 2013-2017.
Workshops, talks & event production:
Pop-Up Africa x The British Council x Circumspectre: Creative Hustle talk, Accra, Ghana 2017; UAL: Skint? Make Money Doing What You Love As A Student, 2018 + 2019; UAL Gradual podcast, 2018; Hatch Enterprise: BAME Female Founders - Branding Masterclass workshop, 2018 + 2019; Life of A Designer: Black Womxn In Design, production + host, 2019.
I created #lifeofadesigner, a platform for the multi-hyphenated self-employed/freelancer/5-9er creative type to share advice with, document my journey, and build a community for those that need it. #lifeofadesigner was launched on IWD 2019 and can be found on IG: @loa__d.
Projects
- Introducing: Blk Art MapThe BLK ART MAP is the definitive guide to Black visual art and design in Britain. The map is for art enthusiasts interested in seeing the work of Black artists exhibited in museums, galleries and festivals in London and across Britain. www.blkartmap.co.uk Socials: @blkartmap Find us and follow! Founded by Abi Wright (Creative direction, design & build) & Aurella Yussuf (Curation & writing).
- War Inna BabylonWar Inna Babylon: The Community’s Struggle for Truths and Rights - an exhibition curated by London-based racial advocacy and community organisation, Tottenham Rights, independent curators Kamara Scott and Rianna Jade Parker, with exhibition design by Abi Wright - chronicles the impact of various forms of state violence and institutional racism targeted at Britain’s Black communities since the mass arrival-upon-invitation of West Indian migrants in the late 1940s. Using the ‘symbolic location’ o
- International Women's Day 2019: Womxn In DesignTwo years ago I organised and curated Womxn In Design - a conference-come-celebration of Black female designers who are creating phenomenal work in their respective fields. Carolyn Hill - Founder of ChillCreate; Specialises in Branding, Art Direction and Graphic Design. Previous clients including Rhythm Kitchen, Fuel Theatre and the Mary Seacole Trust. Gabrielle Smith - Founder of the:nublack; Gabrielle Smith is a British-Grenadian designer, creative producer and digital culturist. She curren
- TA L L A W A H - Commemorating Jamaican Independence Day, 2020Jamaican "Independence" Day falls on 6th August, and is an acknowledgement of independence from the UK since this date in1962. Every year I commemorate this day by creating a design using a Jamaican proverb - "Likkle But Tallawah" (now personal motto given to me by my dad), meaning "Small But Mighty". For this years addition I designed a typographic emblem using a typeface called Martin by Vocal Type Foundry - a Black owned US based type foundry creating fonts based on iconic Civil Rights l
- InterwovenRe-brand for sustainability-focused platform Interwoven, who champion responsible consumption and production. The brands' visual personality was updated in line with their new brand name and loyal audience and members. I created a personalised typeface, logo, and visual identity variations for use across multiple platforms.
- Pinterest UK presents: Black Gold, A Virtual ExhibitionA visual love letter to Black British creative expression. Black Gold features work from contemporary Black British multidisciplinary artists. In honour of Black History Month 2020 these artists contributed current works that spoke to their heritage. The collection gives a nod to elders and peers that have influenced their artistic identity. This is the manifestation of inspiration blossoming into action. Curated by Abi Wright for Pinterest UK.
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Work history
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Creative DirectorAWD
London, United KingdomFull Time
Abi Wright Design encompasses all elements of graphic design, creating effortless,
iconic + impactful work.
With a portfolio presenting a cross-section of striking brand, logo + print design, AWD has created for a client list that includes start-ups, not-for-profits and larger corporations.
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Graphic Design AssistantDorling & Kindersley
- 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, UKFull Time
Created design work for a range of Licensed brands including Lucas Films, Marvel, Disney, WWE and Lego.
Worked on Star Wars: Visual Encyclopedia, which is now available worldwide.
Skills
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Abobe Illustrator
- Adobe Indesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Digital Typography
- Illustration
- Branding
- Print Design
- Packaging
- Graphic Design
- Graphic Communication
Education
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Graphic CommunicationFashion Institute of Technology
- New York, United States
While on my Diploma in Professional Studies year away from my Bachelors Degree, I participated in an exchange program with F.I.T.- I majored in graphic design, and also studied screen printing, photography, web design and additional classes in Adobe Illustrator.
BA(Hons) Graphic and Media Design, 2:1London College of Communication, UAL
- London, United Kingdom
I chose the creative pathway of Information Design for the final two years of my bachelors degree, which taught me how to simplify data for a more audience friendly solution. I applied this method to things I am passionate about - culture, diversity, visual language - experimented communication indicators - colour, shape, patterns, typography - in a variety of ways - graphic design, photography, screen-printing.
This train of thought followed the completion of a Diploma in Professional Studies travelling to New York (to study graphic design at FIT) and Istanbul (to participate in Grafist: 13), where I was able to consume design in different ways. Culture and traditions had suddenly become a natural part of the design conversation, and I finally found my inspiration.
I have used these learning experiences to influence my work to date. I am still passionate about all of the above, and use my design-for-print skillset and curatorial practice to add an alternative to the (ever evolving) design scene.