NAMIRA is a DJ with a distinctive cultural approach. She was born and raised in LA while having a Korean family and she moved to Dubai in her early adulthood. This mix of cultures and experiences gave Namira a global and unique vision towards music. This was stated as the most important aspect of this project so we focused on the concept of colliding cultures in the visual identity.
We made a series of graphics inspired by the illustration style of studio Ghibli and anime aesthetics overall. We aimed to bring together the nightlife scene and the traditional cultural aspects of Korea. Namira is a character based on the Gisaeng, a word used in ancient Korea to describe a woman who is educated and has formation in the arts, a figure upon their society. Additionally, we took objects of both Korean and nightlife contexts, and mixed them up in unseen combinations.
The logo has aspects of occidental culture as well. We built a typography and an icon that use a stroke with thick and thin sections. This contrast resembles soft tipped bamboo brushes used with ink, that are commonly found in water bodies, such as ponds or rivers, in traditional landscape drawings.
Credits:
Art Direction: Mariela Mezquita // Design & Illustration: Harumi Tanimoto // Animation: Enrique Cortines
Photography & Set Design: Andrea Pastrana // Client: Namira
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