Fruitcake Press (FCP)
Design Research + Production
Fruitcake Press is an independent queer publishing initiative I launched while participating in the Shumka Centre's Satellite x DESIS residency. Residents of this program had access to studio space, mentorship, peer support, and funding toward the goal of initiating events, programs, or community partnerships; developing products or services; or starting studios, collectives, agencies or non-profits.
During this residency I had the opportunity to meet and learn from many inspiring individuals in the industry and was ultimately paired with Be Oakley of Genderfail as my mentor. Genderfail is "a Trans + non-binary publishing platform working through failure. Publishing on occupied Munsee Lenape + Canarsie lands. (Queens, New York)".
Fruitcake Press Branding
In the process of crafting branding for FCP, I explored numerous iterations. Fruitcake (FCP) emerged as a pseudonym for publishing my work, providing a space to express and explore my queer identity without fear. This objective is reflected in the chosen logotype, colour palette, and other branding elements.
FCP Branding Update Social Post
FCP Risograph Calendar
The FCP Risograph Calendar was a significant ongoing project for me. In its first edition, I aimed to showcase some of my favorite queer cinema through the use of iconography. This approach was intended to underscore the presence and impact of queer narratives in both popular culture and daily life, illustrating how deeply intertwined the queer experience has become in our world.
In 2021, I designed each month's artwork for the calendar myself, then printed it on a Risograph MF9450 using two ink colors, I manually rounded corners, and spiral-bound each copy.
For 2022, I realized the workload and decided to collaborate with two other local artists: Nandita Ratan and Myranda Wicks, with each of us tackling four months' visuals. Again I printed each month on the same Risograph MF9450 with two ink colors, manually rounded the corners and spiral-bound the calendars. Notably, I improved the design by replacing the hole punch with a metal calendar hanger and a semi-circle punch for easier flipping of the months.
2021 FCP Social Post
2022 FCP Social Post
LETTERS TO MY YOUNGER QUEER SELF (LTMYQS)
Amidst the pandemic, when people across the globe were under lockdown restrictions, I invited individuals to engage in an online questionnaire, where they were requested to provide their address along with a cherished childhood photograph. I then dispatched packages to their respective homes, containing the printed childhood photographs and essential materials for crafting a letter inspired by the provided prompt below.
These heartfelt contributions were compiled into an publication. Regrettably, due to limited financial resources during my residency, the physical release of this publication has been postponed, but the aspiration remains to bring it to fruition in the near future.
These heartfelt contributions were compiled into an publication. Regrettably, due to limited financial resources during my residency, the physical release of this publication has been postponed, but the aspiration remains to bring it to fruition in the near future.
LTMYQS Book Trailer