Image
Jen White-Johnson (she/they) is a disabled and neurodivergent Afro-Latina art activist and design educator whose visual work aims to uplift disability justice narratives in design. Jen has an MFA in Graphic Design from The Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work has been featured in Afropunk, Adobe and PBS. Jen’s work is also permanently archived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian National African American Museum of History and Culture.
This talk explores the use of photo-illustration and collage as a decolonial tool for "reassembling" identity. How do we protect the stories that institutions often overlook? Through the accessible, high-impact world of zines and printmaking, collage becomes a frontline tool for social change. This talk examines the intersection of design justice and grassroots activism, showing how photo-illustration can be used to "memorialize" community struggles and triumphs. From Riso-printed protests to gallery-scale collages, we will explore how the "low-fidelity" medium of collage offers a "high-fidelity" impact for cultural preservation and systemic advocacy.