Family Portrait

Shani Sandy is an artist and multidisciplinary designer seasoned in commercial, non-profit, and independent work. Her experiences cover a range of industries, sectors, and types from corporate multinationals to start-ups. Shani’s work reflects her diverse journey as a fine artist, designer, studio principal, creative director, and executive. As a practitioner in communication design, branding, and user experience and researcher and advocate in diversity and design, Shani explores the many possibilities of a creative calling.

For Black History Month I chose to add this object to the archive because the layering of the African mask on the faces is a very impactful expression of African American identity.  The high-contrast color is very attention-grabbing. The red backgrounds reinforce the subjects and direct our attention to the faces' features, making us consider the face a carrier of one's identity.