Meet the Designer: Julie Chea!
- Courtney Hicks
- Sep 17, 2017
- 3 min read
Collegiate Curls has a logo that signifies unity, diversity, and inclusion on every campus. We are so blessed to have it created, and published by the gifted Julie Chea! Read more below about her and her works!
Hello Everyone! I am a senior at CofC majoring in Computing in the Arts from Rock Hill, SC. My interests lie in all sorts of directions: art, sustainability, technology, fashion, philosophy, food, diversity, music, you name it. Just don't send me any country music I won't be happy at all lol. Everyday I try to make sure that I listen and learn from others who are different from me inside and out, in order to get a holistic sense of how unique the individuals of society are, and to understand the origins of particular mindsets. However, I also strive to educate others who may not be aware of problematic behavior, or particular issues that are prominent in our society. Also my favorite candies are sour Haribo gummy bears.
My inspiration to create the logo came from actual images of people with those particular hair style and textures. Courtney gave me the general color palette and layout of her vision, and from there I did my own research on the hair types and skin tones that she wanted to see before I began. I did not use one picture for each person on the logo, but rather several images for each in order to make sure that I was staying true to the hair texture that Courtney requested.
Usually I do not have a primary medium, but I do tend to mix medias. Last year, I began my journey with printmaking, and I fell in love with that as well. My style is more along the lines of conceptual art, that takes in aspects of surrealism. My intent is to slightly cross the boundaries of realism and incorporate (for lack of a better word,) "the stuff that doesn't make sense" within the human mind with the rational order of our physical reality. So in essence, what comes out of that is art that looks someone familiar to everyday life, but slightly off. I make use of space, and my work is not too busy or too technical, because the heavy component of the work comes from the stages within the process in which it took to make it along with what its meaning became when completed.
When people see my work, I would hope that they enjoy what they see in front of their eyes, and not stop their thinking there. I would hope that they would begin to contemplate the process it took for the work to become what it is from idea conception, to the layout of the work, to the actual drawing/painting/whatever medium process, all the way to the end. I want everyone to understand that art is not always what is right there in front of you, but the journey it took to get where it is now.
Sometimes I post little doodles on my instagram, and works in progress on my instagram or snapchat stories. This year I am hoping to begin creating prints of several of my projects and getting my own online shop started, so stay tuned! I plan to post more on my instagram this upcoming year, and if interested, I will be selling some of my prints. (IG: chicken10ders)
Words of wisdom... In an artistic sense, don't doubt yourself if you don't feel good enough to post your work or progress or whatever. I still struggle with that, but I keep having to remind myself that you are your biggest critic. And through conversation with many other artists, 100% of them have told me that they have never been fully satisfied with their work. Which means there is always room to grow. That being said, you can also apply this to your life -- there is always room to grow. When learning about others, stop and listen. Critique your own beliefs. Don't be afraid to unlearn your own toxic behaviors (Make sure you are aware of them!!) and keep pushing. None of us are perfect, so don't act like you are. Be willing to admit your mistakes so you can grow and be a better you tomorrow.
Final words: SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW MINORITIES. It doesn't matter if they're the same or different from you, we are all undergoing some type of systematic struggle in this society. Solidarity is key nowadays, so do not shy away from a community unlike yours. If anything, you can help to educate them about your own, or learn a little more about theirs. We are all interconnected, so we cannot live in ignorance about each other. Let's push to stop the degradation of those who are different, and instead begin learning about our brothers and sisters from other cultures.
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