life’s not a paragraph

yesterday i was lucky enough to discover from my computer typography teacher that the designer luba lukova was going to be giving a lecture today at the boston public library. there’s a poster that’s been hanging up in the hallway by the printers for the past few days about it. i looked at it, but i never really read it. thankfully, marie-anne mentioned it yesterday in class or else i would have missed this awesome opportunity.

ever since i learned about her work in my history of graphic design class last semester i have been a huge fan of luba lukova. originally from bulgaria, she has lived in the states (specifically new york city) for the past twenty years or so creating incredible design which calls attention to major global issues like poverty, hunger, ecology, human rights and oppression. the thing about her work that makes it so inspiring is its simplicity. she often creates two or three color posters which have hand drawn images. it all sounds boring i know, but this woman knows how to combine symbols, icons, photos and illustrations to create a clear and undeniable impact.

i really can’t do her justice, so here are some of her works from her social justice 2008 series:

see? incredible. these really are images that you will never be able to get out of your head.
during the lecture, she went through a portfolio of her work and talked about each piece in her little bulgarian accent. she mentioned some of the design elements– why it was effective, why these lines work here/there– but she mostly focused on her concepts, the reasons why she chose the images that she chose.
honestly, luba is brilliant. you could tell that this process was just so natural for her. creativity and design are her life, and she embraces and loves them fully. when asked about how she lives off of an artist/designer salary, she simply stated that she goes with her gut. she will turn down a huge commission if the requirements of the design are too restricting. and she said it’s all about connections. her enthusiasm and passion have allowed her to meet a person who knows that person, who works for this person, etc. it’s all just a chain. she said that she tells every student who asks “how do you ‘make it’?” to follow your heart and stay true to your design.

obviously, she’s a lucky one. not everyone can make it. but her story of being a foreigner, arriving in the land of people who want to “make it” and her success as an internationally recognized designer (with work that has been placed in museums!) is pretty inspiring, especially to a young designer like me who’s interested in social justice and the non-profit world. she is that example that proves that talent, enthusiasm and pure passion can get you anywhere you want to go in life.