Whether it’s graphic design, illustration, mural art or short video clips, Instagram shows that there’s no shortage of design talent and visual expression from people from around the world. Here are a few designers and creatives worth following for some creative inspiration.
Afua Richardson
Afua Richardson is a character designer with a background in graphic design. She has worked as an illustrator for Image/Top Cow, and was the sole illustrator for the pilot project “Genius“. Afua’s latest project is co-illustrating “Black Panther: World of Wakanda” for Marvel Comics!
Tatyana Fazalizaden
Tatyana Fazalizaden is an illustrator and painter. She is known for her wheatpaste campaign “Stop Telling Women To Smile”. Tatyana’s campaign challenges gender-based street harassment through illustrated portraits in public spaces, forcing people to encounter her message in the very places where it happens.
Jasmine Burton
Jasmine Burton is an Atlanta-based design activist and a graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in industrial design. She was part of the team that developed the Safichoo Toilet concept in 2014 in the Georgia Tech InVenture Prize Competition. Now Jasmine has put her skill and passion for design toward her drive for public health and social justice as president and founder of Wish for Wash, LLC.
Dayle Bennett
Dayle Bennett is the creative director at The Center for Civic Innovation in Atlanta. She has over 25 years of branding and design experience and she is the owner and principal of Number 4 Design Studio where she creates handcrafted accessories.
Asiey Barbie
Asiey Barbie is a self-taught freelance illustrator and character designer who has created original cover art for hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj. She also has paid tribute to several other pop culture icons like Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, and Drake, while also selling her own original merchandise and accessories on her website’s store.
Kadir Nelson
Kadir Nelson has illustrated children’s books, postage stamps, album covers, and most notably several covers of The New Yorker. He has won several awards including the Caldecott Honor Award, an NAACP Image Award and the Casey Award for “Best Book on Baseball” for The Story of the Negro League Baseball.
Craig “Flux” Singleton
Illustrator and musician Craig Singleton from Queens, New York, has established himself in Atlanta as the go-to guy for bright and bold logos, album designs, paintings and murals. In the past, Craig illustrated a weekly comic strip for Rolling Out and designed covers and editorial layouts for independent magazine Frank151.
Fahamu Pecou
Fahamu Pecou’s paintings and performances are bold, thought-provoking and unapologetically Black. His work has been featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American Art and Culture, The High Museum of Art, Societe Generale in Paris, among others.
Hebru Brantly
Hebru Brantly’s work is influenced by anime and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Brantly’s art and characters have been featured in Chance the Rapper’s music videos, and his work is collected by high-profile celebrities and athletes such as Amar’e Stoudemire, Jay Z, and George Lucas.
Dwayne Wright
Dwayne Wright (aka Dubelyoo) is a multidisciplinary designer, artist, curator, and speaker. He is the co-founder of Art, Beats, and Lyrics, the largest hip-hop art exhibition in the country. Dubelyoo has been commissioned by several high-profile companies, including Red Bull, Nike, and Apple.
Kevin Harp
Kevin Harp is known for his typographic skill in logo design and his striking images of armed youth, police brutality and the female form. He has participated in Art, Beats & Lyrics — along with helping plan the event — and is part of the documentary “Heaven Can Wait: The Story Behind the Wall”.
Donte Neal
Freelance graphic designer Donte Neal (aka Mars Five) is known for his work with apparel company Philadelphia Printworks for their “School of Thought” line. His inspiration comes from comic books, hip-hop, and magazines that focus on different cultures. Dante’s belief is that design informs the placement of imagery in the most practical of ways.
LeSean Thomas
LeSean Thomas is a powerhouse producer, director and designer. His most notable works include Nickelodeon’s The Legend of Korra and Adult Swim’s The Boondocks and Black Dynamite. LeSean is the director and writer for Cannon Busters, his own animated series.