Jodi Hunt’s layered designs usher a wealth of Black expression into view
Working across publishing, music and brand design, the Bristol-based designer’s work visually contextualises the Jamaican and wider Black experience.
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At the heart of Jodi Hunt’s vibrant designs, there are rich symbols of the Black experience. Born and raised in Trowbridge, England and currently based in Bristol, the graphic designer has always been drawn to stories and projects that offer “a deep dive into a number of cultures and perspectives or those that allow me to explore my Jamaican heritage”, she says. With this, there is always a dynamic feel to her work; genre, memory, history and character jump out from her layered designs. Her book designs capture the emotions and identity of their central characters, while her visual identity for the independent record label Poor Man’s Friend takes inspiration from roots reggae and rocksteady classics of the 60s and 70s, employing a colour way and lettering that ushers it, and the dub genre-at-large, into the present day.
In order to achieve these varied visual results, the graphic designer partakes in a lot of play and experimentation, “utilising hand-drawn elements, painted textures and scanned materials”. Inspired by the vibrant cultural expressions of the 1960s and ‘70s “particularly the liberation movement at the time,” and her collection of Black music magazines, with bold lettering and bold colours, for Jodi, every design is an opportunity to explore periods and understand her identity. So, peruse through her work, a body that explores both a people and a culture, but also the standout fusions of a designer who is constantly inspired.
Jodi Hunt: Manny and the Baby (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2023)
Jodi Hunt: Hell of a Book (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2022)
Jodi Hunt: My Fathers' Daughter (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2021)
Jodi Hunt: Fire Rush (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2022)
Jodi Hunt: This is Not-America (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2023)
Jodi Hunt: Poor Man’s Friend (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2023)
Jodi Hunt: Poor Man’s Friend (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2022)
Jodi Hunt: Poor Man's Friend (Copyright © Rider Shafique, 2022)
Jodi Hunt: Poor Man’s Friend (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2021)
Jodi Hunt: Poor Man’s Friend (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2021)
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Jodi Hunt: Daughters of the Nile (Copyright © Jodi Hunt, 2023)
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About the Author
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Yaya (they/them) joined It’s Nice That as an editorial assistant in June 2023 and became a staff writer in November of the same year. With a particular interest in Black visual culture, they have previously written for publications such as WePresent, alongside work as a researcher and facilitator for Barbican and Dulwich Picture Gallery.