Instagram and Brooklyn Museum Announce #BlackDesignVisionaries Grant Recipients
The #BlackDesignVisionaries grant is awarded to those who are aiming to enact change in the field of design.
Instagram’s official @design account is announcing the five recipients of the #BlackDesignVisionaries grant program today, November 3. In partnership with the Brooklyn Museum, the #BlackDesignVisionaries grant is awarded to up-and-coming Black designers and Black-led design businesses that strive for Black representation in mainstream culture.
"The future is bright and full of promise with these visionary Black designers leading the way. We are thrilled to support and uplift their urgent, innovative, community-focused work, while shining a spotlight on their dreams," said Kristen Joy Watts, creative director of @design at Instagram.
Here, learn more about the five #BlackDesignVisionaries recipients and their promising impact within the design industry through their work.
Head of State | @headofstate_
Head of State founder Taofeek Abijako launched his fashion brand at the age of 17 in 2016. The multidisciplinary artist became the youngest designer to show his work at New York Fashion Week: Men’s, and in September 2021, he released his first womenswear collection entitled "Homecoming."
Abijako’s designs are largely influenced by his Nigerian roots, and his fashion house Head of State embraces his West African culture as well as criticizes the impacts of Westernization.
Abijako received the $100,000 Visionary Small Business Grant for Head of State.
Dominique Petit-Frère | @limboaccra
Dominique Petit-Frère’s design studio Limbo Accra explores the relationship between communities and the need for socio-economic change through design and architectural projects. Her desire for an inclusive future is noted through her approach to spatial justice and her collaborative, sustainable projects.
"As a young designer, this is a huge acknowledgement for the work I’ve been developing over the past three years," said Petit-Frère. "The most important thing about winning the #BlackDesignVisionaries grant is the opportunity to gain professional mentorship and expert guidance as I excel in my career. With the monetary support, I plan to scale the studio upwards with an operational space in Accra that can support the execution of our current and future projects with architects and designers in Ghana, West Africa, and beyond."
Petit-Frère was awarded the $10,000 Aspiring Designer Grant.
Morcos Key | @morcoskey
Graphic design studio Morcos Key was founded by Jon Key and Wael Morcos. The studio primarily advocates for underrepresented groups through visual systems that meld historical narratives with contemporary designs.
“The work Morcos Key is doing is groundbreaking—focusing on subject matter crucial to the future of Black culture, while also advocating for greater rights and representation for the LGBTQIA community,” said co-founder of Champions Design and committee member Bobby C. Martin.
Morcos Key was awarded the $75,000 Impact Grant.
Sablā Stays | @callmesabla
Multidisciplinary designer Sablā Stays revolves her work around the Black collective experience through photography, type, and other visual mediums. She hopes to educate audiences about a more diverse narrative that is often suppressed or overlooked in pop culture.
"The grant has given me the opportunity to expand my independent design practice further," Stays said. "Grant programs like this are important because they show a younger generation that there’s a fruitful future in design and the arts, especially in a country like the United States, where art and design are often treated as an elective or hobby."
Stays was awarded the $10,000 Aspiring Designer Grant.
Tré Seals | @vocaltype.co
Tré Seals is the founder of Vocal Type Co., an independent font foundry that aims to diversify the graphic design industry through the creation of new typefaces inspired by historical events, such as the "I AM A MAN" posters that were carried during the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike of 1968.
"I think what makes this grant meaningful is the fact that it’s coming from Instagram. Knowing that design exists, and that design, in all its facets, is a career—that’s a privilege," said Seals. "I feel like one of the main reasons that there are so few practicing creatives of color in the world is because most of the world doesn’t realize that this profession exists, or that people make letters for a living, and that the design of those letters and the ways in which they are put to use play a role in how we interpret the world."
Seals received the $10,000 Aspiring Designer Grant.
