LATE BLOOMERS | Ahraun Chambliss
I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Ahraun on past occasions (see JSA Let it Snow), but none with the significance of curating and designing fliers for his exhibit at ØL Tokyo Craft Beer Bar in Shibuya, Tokyo. Ahraun was born and raised in Southern California, studied in San Francisco, and later Tokyo during his college years. His interest in photography flourished as he captured the intimate moments of daily life around him through his unique cultural lens. He has since continued his photography and cultivating a very healthy audience on Instagram.
There is a clear, but delicate beauty in Ahraun's ability to use light and framing devices in a way that focus his subjects but maintain interest and movement throughout his compositions. Editing around these unique characteristics in a manner that maintained the design integrity of his original works, while simultaneously showcasing the unique story-beats of the exhibition, was the most challenging aspect of the flyer designs. After reviewing dozens of potential exhibition candidates and layout designs, i began to find patterns in Ahraun's photography. By assembling various layouts that reinforced those design elements, I was able to generate numerous usable designs based off the narrative of the exhibition. Vertical Divider
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Process:
Consultation > Concept Sketches > Selection #1 > Drafting > Selection #2 > Finalization > Review > Delivery Approx. Completion time: 3 weeks Tools:
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Sketchbook |
Design Exploration |
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From the beginning, we established what Ahraun’s goals for his exhibition were; focusing on what themes he planned to exhibit, which images would be showcased, the arrangement of said photos, and how we could deliver that desired experience via “flyer” format as seen above.
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Finding the correct balance of space allocated to photos and text was a major hurdle,
considering print size.
After finding notable similarities among the exhibition candidates, I considered using repetition and pattern to communicate narrative.
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I considered using a single image to be a compelling draw to the event, but ran the risk of alienating or segmenting our target audience.
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Finding the Narrative
Due to the nature of Ahraun’s prolific catalog, I went through great lengths to curate the photos that best described the nature of the exhibition via tone, composition, and overall storytelling. Therefore, many iterations of the fliers were created to accurately express these details. We even considered leading with a hook bordering some images to press a clearer narrative expectation but felt it was too esoteric to be utilized in the final designs.
Finalized Designs
Ahraun eventually decided to have 4 separate flyers showcase the diversity of his photography and encourage patrons to take a bit of the experience home with them.
Venue & Showcase
Together, we spent 4+ hours setting up and arranging the 50+ photos per our original plans; altering them where necessary. The opening of the event saw dozens of locals and travelers alike, coming to view Ahraun’s creative photographic talents. In addition, many observers over the following weeks collected the 4 unique fliers and purchased prints to commemorate the occasion. You can see photos of the event below, and more from Ahraun’s portfolio via cargocollective.