Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at UNC Charlotte Christina Singer has three works showcased in two international exhibitions. "Mariposa" and "Golden" were selected to participate in the International Fine Arts, Printing and Sustainability Conference (IFPSC) in Barcelona while "Never Over" is a part of Intercontinental Bienal, an exhibition that travels to different countries throughout the year.
Displayed in the IFPSC’s virtual exhibition, the digital poster "Mariposa" utilizes digitally manipulated and collaged elements from the archives of the lesbian literary journal "Sinister Wisdom," Singer said in an artist statement. The piece equates the tigre mariposa, a venomous snake, to lesbianism as a commentary on lesbianism’s position within society. “Lesbianism is a threat and direct insult to the patriarchy, and it is to be applauded as such,” said Singer.
"Golden," displayed as a part of the IFPSC’s in-person exhibition, is a digital print that plays on the Biblical golden rule “love thy neighbor as thyself.” This message is repeated throughout the design to remind its viewers to embrace this rule in a society that is becoming increasingly more individualistic, Singer described, bringing this sentiment of universal love to near extinction. Both "Golden" and "Mariposa" are on display with the IFPSC, February 10-19.
"Never Over" is a digital print that is displayed for the Intercontinental Bienal. Out of 19,543 artwork submissions, Singer’s piece was one of 625 chosen to be a part of the exhibition. “This poster is a reminder to every human, but particularly to queer designers feeling stuck,” said Singer. "Never Over" was first displayed in December 2023 at the Edgar Negret Museum in Bogotá, Colombia. The piece will travel to an exhibition in Argentina in May 2024 followed by Brazil in July.
Pictured: Photos of each of Singer's works discussed – "Mariposa," "Golden," and "Never Over."
Singer also recently won two awards in the "Poster For__." International Poster Design Competition: "Unban Queer Culture" (pictured below, left) received a Rose Gold award, and her poster "Korean Coffee Culture" (pictured below, right) was awarded a Bronze award. The jury team included 30 members from 16 different countries.
Singer has other exciting things in store for this year and notably will co-chair the UCDA Design Education Summit, taking place May 20-22 in Arizona.
Article by Will Loyd.
Cover image: Singer's poster, bottom row, third from the left, "Never Over" in Bogotá, Colombia at the Edgar Negret Museum.