Alexandra McKinney
BA Graphic Design - Camberwell College of Art, 2023
Alexandra McKinney is a designer, writer and facilitator whose practice is concerned with creating work rooted in a combination of social justice and creative education. She works with the aim of showing consideration towards audiences who are not always taken into account by mainstream design.
McKinney specialises in print and publication design, but has also begun exploring how to implement creative writing and textile craft as a means of interacting with her audience. She also has experience teaching craft-based workshops, which has significantly influenced her practice, as shown in her recent work.
Drawing upon both research and lived experience, her current body of work takes a loving approach towards highlighting marginalised experiences and deconstructing the stigma around marginalised emotion. Whether it is being scolded for being ‘too angry’ in the face of oppression, or seeing the joy of one’s community be fetishised in mainstream media, McKinney analyses the ways in which the emotions of marginalised individuals are suppressed. She also explores how marginalised people can reconnect with and celebrate those emotions in spite of this oppression through a combination of craft, creative writing and participatory workshops. Ultimately, the goal is to show solidarity to those who have lived through this experience, as well as provide an emotional outlet.
Yes, I Am Angry uses collaborative poster-making and annotation to interrogate real events from McKinney’s life where she has been denied her anger, highlighting the many things a marginalised person would rather say when they opt to bite their tongue. Meanwhile, Angry/Joyful/Yes is a zine providing an introduction to the research behind McKinney’s work, as well as instructions for some of the creative workshops she has developed.
Instagram: @alexandra_graphics
