The wait is over! We're so excited to share the recipients of our inaugural #BlackDesignVisionaries grant program with @instagram's Design. Congrats to the following five community builders and visionary designers who are creating innovative expressions of Black culture 💫 ✨ Head of State (@headofstate_), Fashion design house ✨ Morcos Key (@morcoskey), Graphic design studio ✨ Dominique Petit-Frère (@limboaccra), Spatial Designer ✨ Tré Seals (@vocaltype.co), Type designer ✨ Sablā Stays (@callmesabla), Designer and art director Through their rigorous and collaborative approaches, advocacy for historically-excluded communities, and groundbreaking approaches to storytelling, these visionaries are forging a path for the next generation. “I’m overwhelmed by the ways in which these designers are thinking about the world,” said @sirsargent, the head of our grant committee which included @as4d, @bobbycmartin, @heronpreston, ianspalter, @justinablakeney, @rickloweofficial, @sarahelizabethlewis1, @therealruthecarter and @tonilgriffin. Each grant recipient will be connected to a community of mentors, chosen with the support of our committee and partner organizations: @chicagomobilemakers, @hiddengeniuspro and @inneractproject. Follow along @design as we tell the stories of the 2021 #BlackDesignVisionaries in the days to come!
Portrait credits: Head of State, photo by Elias Williams; Morcos Key, photo by Elias Williams; Dominique Petit-Frère, photo by Carlos Idun-Tawiah; Tré Seals, photo by Jared Soares; and Sablā Stays, photo by Elias Williams; all digital art by Temi Coker