Faculty of Design

Graphic Design

Emma Stobo

What's The Mix Up?

What’s The Mix Up? is about the mixed race identity and the experiences that come with it. These days it is very easy to feel like the world is separated in so many ways, with everyone knowing their place. However, things are not so black and white, especially not race. Those who are mixed race may find themselves outside of the binaries, they may feel like they do not belong in a world divided in two. What’s The Mix Up? explores the joys, struggles and hardships that mixed people face in their lifetime. It is both about the community as a whole as well as the individual. It highlights the commonalities and discovers the differences through individual stories to showcase to viewers the uniqueness of this identity. • What's The Mix Up? includes two main projects. The first project is called Paper Self and the second project is a collection of zines. The Paper Self project is reminiscent of paper dolls, a popular children's toy where you dress a figure. The kit features items that reflect many different countries and cultures ranging from food, hobbies, clothing and more. The magnetic pieces allow for the user to put together any images without limitation to create a self-portrait. For people who identify as mixed race, this allows them to depict all sides of their racial and cultural identities without having to choose one or another.The zine collection features the interviews conducted with individuals who identify as mixed race. These interviews focus on each person's own experiences, both positive and negative as well as their thoughts on self-identity, relationships and advice to others. To reflect the fun and celebratory tone of the project, the hand-stitched zines feature illustrations of the content. Each zine includes memorable and impactful quotes as well as the Paper Self that the interviewee created.

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