Creative Quarterly magazine, an award-winning journal of art and design, features in recent issues a wide array of work by students and alumni from the Schools of Graphic Design, Fine Art and Photography, of San Francisco art school, Academy of Art University .
“This is a highly sought-after publication in the art and design field, so it’s very visible,” says Tom McNulty, undergraduate associate director of Graphic Design, of the honors. “It’s very, very significant to be a winner, runner-up or featured in it. It’s international.”
Creative Quarterly was recently named one of the top 100 art and design publications in the world. The magazine’s editors search for interesting projects in art and design, from graphic design, fine art, advertising, architecture, fashion, sculpture and jewelry. The publication strives to not only showcase great work but to ask its contributors the question, “Where does your inspiration come from?”
“We’re all inspired by different things,” says Creative Quarterly Design Director Charles Hively on the magazine’s website. “It’s usually either a person, place or thing. Finding that source of inspiration helps you establish your own voice, which influences the work you do professionally.”
Each issue of the magazine hosts a competition and receives entries from around the world. Winners of the competition are showcased in each edition in the Fresh Talent Gallery; this practice supports the work of emerging artists and designers, as well as practicing professionals.
“One of the things that I really look at is that the Academy’s School of Graphic Design tends to be in the forefront against all the other players,” says McNulty. “That speaks highly for the School of Graphic Design, the university as a whole and, more importantly, for the work that’s being produced by our students.”
Graphic Design MFA student Li Li, from Lanzhou City, China, was named a winner in Creative Quarterly issue 38–39 for her poster series about a fictional architecture design exhibit.
“I am surprised and glad that I sent in my entry,” says Li. Her project targeted architecture that blends with nature. The three sections of her project are “Under The Earth,” “Below The Water,” and “Amid The Woods.” Each poster visualizes how architecture harmonizes with different natural environments.
“I have to say I gained a lot of support from my instructor, Kathrin [Blatter] and my classmates,” Li says. “I came a long way before I decided the final execution. I tried so many materials, and together with Kathrin and my classmates, we generated many ideas each time I failed. Without their help and encouragement I would not have kept trying hard ’til the last day.”
MFA student Ai-Ling Tseng, who graduated from the School of Fine Art in spring 2015, was chosen for her painting series “Color of Love,” says she’s happy and excited to see her work in the magazine. “It is my first time to be published in a real book. It’s a good chance to show my works to the world.”
Graphic Design MFA student Hsuan-Yun Huang, from Taiwan, was named a winner for two different entries in issue 40. One entry was a series of posters created to represent the word “fluidity,” and the second involved recording her daily dreams for two weeks.
For her dreams project, Huang was inspired by psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Jung, who believed that certain dream symbols have the same universal meaning for all people. Dream pictures reveal something about ourselves, our moods, our relationships with other people and what is going on in our current lives.
“Dreams are the rejected and repressed aspects of myself,” explains Huang. “I used a variety of materials that combined my photographs with my painting and illustrations to convey this idea.”
Huang loves the Academy’s Graphic Design program, because she feels that no matter what background you are from, all students start at the same point. She says every instructor she has worked with is incredible.
“They selflessly share their knowledge with us, and they always encourage me to try new things or take risks,” Huang says. “Seriously, I have learned a lot from them, not only design skills but also how to be a great designer.
“Obviously I was really surprised when Creative Quarterly competition told me two of my entries won. Now I still cannot believe that, and I feel wonderful and thankful.”
MFA student Yu Rong, from Zhuhai, China, also submitted two projects to Creative Quarterly and was named a winner for both in issue 40.
“It is absolutely an honor,” says Rong. “I was happy! More than surprised.”
Her first project, “Happy Land,” is a 16-page booklet/brochure that summarizes her idea for a hostel set in the future.
“I depict the future hostel being built with sustainable materials and having a reclaimed water system,” explains Rong. “I made the illustrations with screen printing texture to convey an organic, comfortable and environmentally friendly vibe.”
The second project, called “Underground Architecture Exhibition,” is a series of three posters depicting a wine cellar, a bomb shelter and a subway, integrating the words “calm,” “safe” and “link,” respectively.
“My inspiration for these projects came primarily from research and self-reflection. “I usually start with knowing the audience and defining the goals and structure of the project. Meanwhile, I look up other people’s works on Creative Quarterly, Designspiration and Behance for context. This helps me set the tone and style for the project.”
Here is the complete list of students and alumni honored in Creative Quarterly issues 38–41:
Winners/Featured Artists
• Peihua Lee, MFA, Graphic Design
• Li Li, MFA, Graphic Design (instructor: Kathrin Blatter)
• Yuya Yoshida, MFA 2015, Graphic Design (instructor: Tom McNulty)
• Sinae Kim, BFA 2014, Graphic Design (instructor: Tom McNulty)
• Peihua Lee, Graphic Design (instructor: Christopher Morlan)
• Ju Lee, BFA Graphic Design (instructor: Ariel Grey)
• Michael Taylor, BFA 2014, Graphic Design (instructor: Christine George)
• Bella Huang, MFA, Graphic Design
• Hsuan-Yun Huang, MFA, Graphic Design
• Natasha Katz, MFA 2015, Graphic Design
• Chin I Lee, MFA 2015, Graphic Design
• Yu Rong, MFA, Graphic Design
• Lynn Lin, MFA Graphic Design
• Yinyin Liu, MFA 2015 Graphic Design
• Ai-Ling Tsen, MFA 2015, Fine Art
• Adam Raymaker, BFA, Photography
Runners-Up
• JingFang Chen, MFA 2015 Graphic Design
• Jana Heyer, MFA, Graphic Design
• Aaron-Harper Lee, MFA 2015 Graphic Design
• Yifan Wu, Graphic Design
• Huilin Miao, MFA Graphic Design
• Chris Boehm, BFA, Photography
• Ella Faktorovich, MFA, Photography
• Weston Fuller, MFA 2013, Photography
• Victoria Gagne, BFA 2014, Photography
• Kimberly Griffin, BFA, Photography
• Ji Hye Kang, BFA 2013, Photography
• Brianna Morris, BFA, Photography
• Kim Smith, BFA, Photography
• Xiao Yuan, BFA, Photography
