In Their Own Words: Reflections from Fall 2023 Scholarship Student Kalika Browder

I am a designer, digital media strategist, and visual artist based out of Colorado that specializes in graphics, photography, and printmaking. In May of 2022, I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a BFA in Graphic Design, and then studied in New York City as a scholar at the Manhattan Graphics Center until December of 2022.

The work I tend to create is evocative of the human emotions that are most common and that make us fundamentally vulnerable. Inspired by the aesthetic of designs in the past, my goal is to create work that feels timeless in aesthetic while still remaining true to the nature of the project itself. Artistic observation and integrity are of huge influence to me, as well as the storytelling of the piece.

Every piece of work I create is to communicate with visual impact. Often, I mix many of my abilities in my artwork, including design, photo, typography, and print. A lot of the pieces that I worked on not only in school, but also during my time at the Manhattan Graphics Center reflected on ability to form relationships with others, while also reflecting on the relationships that had exited my life, whether platonic, romantic, or familial. I find that quite a bit of my emotion processing is presented through my artwork, and printmaking, especially, was a good way to represent everything that I was feeling.

One thing I love about printmaking, and a lot of the reason that I chose to pursue printmaking as one of my main forms of creation, was because there are so many forms of it. I specialize specifically in Oil-Based Monotypes. It’s a tedious process - never knowing if the print I am going to pull is going to be successful, but the slow steps to the final result is what makes me feel gratitude in the final creation.

My time at MGC was so beneficial to this process I have for myself, and overall, it made me a better person and a better artist. It broke me down and allowed me a few months to lose myself in something bigger than who I was. I am so grateful for that time. Above are some of the pieces that I have created through Oil-Based Monotypes.