POSTER CREATED TO ANNOUNCE HIGSON’S LECTURE SPONSORED BY VILLA JULIE COLLEGE IN BALTIMORE | PORTRAITS BY JOSE LUIS MARTINEZ

Nessim Higson is a designer/art director who enjoys blurring traditional boundaries of graphic design—“genre-bending,” as he puts it. “[It’s] a favorite thing of mine, whether I’m witnessing it or actually trying to make it happen. Who needs labels?”

Working both under the auspices of his iamalwayshungry studio and as an international hired gun, Higson’s multidisciplinary mixed-media approach on projects with clients such as DC Com­ics, Warner Brothers, Sony Music, EA and Sprint has already garnered recognition from design industry magazines and organi­zations. “I’m very passionate about what I do,” he explains. “Over the years, I have become a fan of wearing different hats. I’ve found that working in various mediums often refreshes me and allows me to interpret assignments and projects in new ways.”

Schooled in fine arts and graphic design at Loyola University, Higson keeps a sketchbook with him at all times, something he finds is “an amazing way to relax and think about my work and life.” This reflection often leads to projects on his own. “Self-prescribed projects have become one of the best medications I can take during those times when I feel unfulfilled in my work. Seems like a com­mon trait among some of my peers, but the notion that being your own client is often the most rewarding is the absolute truth.”

A self-described “half-limey raised in a place known as the Big Easy,” Higson supports the statement that his hometown New Orleans (NOLA) is “the city that care forgot.” He has found a call­ing of sorts in helping the city deal with the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. “I thoroughly enjoy working on things that I feel actually make an impact on people and society. Thankfully, I have been able to work on projects that allow me to voice an opinion and hopefully bring to light certain situations that need assistance.”

Higson has designed several awareness projects, including whatsgoingon.org, a commemorative website and booklet dedicated to the people of New Orleans, and faub.org, which is a site for a group that fosters creativity among “Post-K New Orleanians.” Recently he has begun another collaborative effort to draw attention to the plight of NOLA citizens. Higson and a longtime client, photographer Lee Crum, are doing a series of portraits with graphic elements like typography projected on residents’ faces.

What are Higson’s sources of inspiration? “Everything. Much like my URL [iamalwayshungry.com], I am always hungry for life, for everything that surrounds us. Inspiration lies in the most mun­dane things that you pass by everyday. Have you really looked out­side recently?”

www.iamalwayshungry.com | www.whatsgoingon.org | www.faub.org