Although born and raised in North Carolina, I have interacted with many cultures and enjoy immersing myself in new, unfamiliar surroundings. During my undergraduate years, my thirst for immersion inspired me to travel to Munich, Germany during the 2015 Refugee Crisis and help Syrian and Afghan refugees during their transition to a new culture.
After experiencing the true identities of these refugees, I noticed that cultures, and therefore identities, are often mis-represented through media and marketing, failing to represent and therefore connect with viewers. Marketing is a realm where stereotypes are unfortunately used to connect to a target audience. How media presents an identity or brand can influence the way others see not only that specific thing, but anything associated with that identity or brand. Because of this, I want to work towards creating imagery that is as true to the sources identity as possible, working to fulfill their desired representation of identity while remaining effective in the purpose of entertaining, persuading, or informing the target audience.
Kestra James 