The Daniels Art Directive, a student-led club at the University of Toronto (UofT), in collaboration with Daniels alumnae Ashita Parekh and Tolu Alabi, have installed a temporary mural on the Daniels Building. The mural’s text reads ?Support Black Designers.? and features written pieces and illustrated artwork from Black creatives.
Photo courtesy of The Daniels Art Directive
This mural is a call to action for dismantling systemic racism in the discipline of design. Supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, it calls for the urgent investigation and rectification of racism in workplaces and academic institutions of design.
When asked about the values and goals of this mural design, Tolu Alabi said, ?This project brings awareness to the need to support Black designers. It also creates an opportunity to make practical changes to the educational system by bringing awareness to the diversity in design.” Photo courtesy of The Daniels Art Directive
Ashita Parekh agrees, adding that ?This moment isn’t about us at all; it’s about supporting social justice movements and challenging current institutional systems that don?t recognise the efforts of diverse communities.?
The mural is a community-driven project. Made of 248 pixels, it features both written and illustrated artwork submitted by Black creatives. The call for submissions was open online to all creatives. However, of the 84 pixel designs received, only 20 percent were from Black creatives.  The collec...