Harvard University, Harvard Ed Portal, Boston MA

A Love Letter to You, Mi Gente

A Love Letter To You, Mi Gente is a collection of digital illustrations and 3D sculptural work celebrating the people and experiences that make a place home. These works demonstrate the love, vibrancy, and nostalgia of reflecting on growing up—a chance to rejoice in playful memories and deep rooted community.

Allston-based Katiana Rodriguez is a queer, Afro-Latinx artist born and raised in New York City. In this debut exhibit, Rodriguez invites visitors to immerse themselves in color and whimsy, and remember the importance of their roots and history. 

SERVICES

+ Exhibition Design

+ Graphic Identity

Design Notes

Rodriguez notes, “As a young Puerto Rican girl in the Bronx, my life was rarely lacking in color, artistry, or joy.” The exhibition design of A Love Letter to You, Mi Gente by Brian Hone + Studio evokes the artist’s colorful upbringing with vibrant pops of blues, pinks, and yellows throughout. Light pink and light blue tints serve as subtle, yet arresting backdrops to Rodriguez’s colorful illustrations and sculptural works.

On the title wall, an eye-catching, diagonally striped graphic element announces the start of the exhibition while a bold, blue feature wall at the rear of the gallery pulls the viewer into and around the space. Three pedestals act as vibrant syncopations within the gallery and prominently feature fanciful masks that the viewer can experience in the round.

An exhibition-specific font system utilized on the title wall, object labels, interpretive text, and marketing and promotional materials conveys the personal and reflective nature of the show - the exhibition is thought of as a love letter after all. The calligraphic script of the title lockup paired with the slightly more edgy “Mi Gente” in graffiti style evokes the presence of the hand found in street art in Rodriguez’s neighborhood where she grew up. With object labels written in the first-person tense, the use of a typewriter-esque typeface is appropriate.

About the Artist

Katiana Rodriguez is a queer, Afro-Latinx artist born and raised in New York City. She currently has a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Illustration. Her artistic influence can be seen throughout the city of Boston. Most notably, she has held a year-long curatorial residency at the Brookline Arts Center and has spent innumerable weekends vending at local art and craft markets. Additionally, Katiana was a member of The Fenway's inaugural cohort, where she oversaw the planning of Violet Neighborhood, an art event centered around queer BIPOC creators. She has also facilitated multiple workshops centered around art, identity, and portraiture. As an artist of color, Katiana is focused on bringing diversity and awareness to visual art spaces through mural work, equity and inclusion initiatives, gallery curation, and event planning.