RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN (RISD)
Zoë Pulley (b. 7/93) was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in South Orange, New Jersey. She currently is based in Providence, RI pursuing her MFA in Graphic Design as a Presidential Fellow. She received her BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015 and began a career in apparel design in New York shortly after graduating. She designed many a legging and sport bra during this time for brands such as Under Armor, Splendid and Spalding. Motivated to preserve generational narratives of Black experiences through print, textiles and other media, Pulley pursues ongoing projects including the jewelry line GRAN SANS and the collaborative opencall project called Black Joy Archive. Her current work primarily focuses on the narratives of Black folks and questions the visibility of Blackness and meaning of these stories within various spaces. She loves to laugh, she loves her grandma and she currently loves the color orange (again).
WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL INSPIRED?
Slow mornings, Good one-on-ones, Walks, People and stories
WHAT AREA OR AREAS OF DESIGN ARE YOU HOPING TO WORK IN OR SPECIALIZE IN?
I get most jazzed about designing systems that need to be applied to various outputs — whether that be publications, digital, space or objects. I find it especially fun to figure out one core design concept that can then guide the narrative for all other components of a project.
WHAT ARE YOU READING/LISTENING TO/WATCHING?
(Re)Reading Beloved by Toni Morrison and Black Performance on the Outskirts of the Left: A History of the Impossible by Malik Gaines Listening to SAULT, Notes of a Native Son and DOMi & JD BECK (a lot). Watching Abbott Elementary — we stan for Quinta B!!
