photography @lenslem on IG
hi, i’m luciana (^-^)
a latinx, polylingual, interdisciplinary designer and illustrator from Arequipa, Peru. My multicultural upbringing and experience as an immigrant have taught me the value of interdisciplinarity as a skillset in an increasingly globalizing world - where the complex problems and questions we deal with may benefit greatly from an integrative approach. This, in turn, inspired my unique (and perhaps unusual) undergraduate education.
As a designer, I am particularly drawn to books and all things print, including large scale environmental projects - anything and everything that tangibly and artistically shapes our surroundings and lived experiences. At the core of my values lies a commitment to authenticity and social / cultural awareness. I aspire to do work that is meaningful, impactful, and hopefully, helpful to others.
As a scholar, my research interests center around studying multilingual typography, design elements, & visual storytelling across cultures, particularly as a means of drawing insight into the complexities of human identities in a globalizing world. I seek to better understand and challenge the often western-centered approach to design history, practice, and pedagogy.
When I’m not engrossed in my work, I am probably curled up with a good book, moonlighting as a semi-professional soprano, or dancing the stress away in my room :)
Areas of Expertise
Graphic Design
Art Direction
Print / Book Design
Editorial Design
Branding & Identity
Type Design
Illustration & Painting
Exhibition Design
Packaging Design
Digital Marketing / Social Media
Data Analytics & Visualization
Writing, Translation, & Copy Editing
Motion Graphics
Bookbinding
Luciana Daniela Mujica-Martorell
Education
Maryland Institute College of Art || Expected Graduation Dec 2024
M.P.S. Business of Art & Design, Entrepreneurship
University of Maryland Baltimore County || Graduation May 2017 Magna Cum Laude
B.F.A. Design || B.A. Global Studies: International Affairs || B.A. Asian Studies
Minors: Psychology & Music, Honors College Certificate
Experience
Communications Manager || Sept. 2023 - Present
Japan-America Society of Washington DC
Freelance Designer & Art Director || Sep. 2019 - Present
Mar Luciana Design, Washington D.C. & Baltimore M.D.
Design & Publicity Coordinator || Nov. 2017 - Jan. 2020
Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.
Stock Associate || Nov. 2021 - May 2022
Cost Plus World Market, Rockville, M.D.
Freelance Graphic Designer. & Illustrator || Jun. 2016 - Nov 2017
Self-Employed, Washington D.C. & Baltimore M.D.
Architecture & Engineering Student Assistant || Sept. 2016 - Jan. 2017
Facilities Management, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Teacher Assistant - POLI 482 International Law || May 2016 - Jun. 2016
Political Science Department, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Intern: Bartleby, UMBC’s Literary Arts Magazine || Sept. 2013 - May 2016
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Language
Spanish || English || French || Japanese || Korean
+ additional typesetting experience in Arabic & Chinese
Honors
Semi-Finalist for Fulbright Open Study / Research Award to South Korea || 2018
Outstanding Scholar || Global Studies Program, UMBC || 2017
Outstanding Artwork in Senior Exhibition || UMBC Center for Art, Design, & Visual Culture || 2017
UMBC President's List & Scholarship || 2012 - 2017
UMBC Music Fellowship || 2012 - 2013
Selection of Undergraduate Research Papers || writing samples available upon request
Titles in Pink = Thesis & Capstone Projects
MLL 311/KORE 300 Korean Culture & Language Independent Study || 2016 - 2018
Visual Manifestations of Language & Culture: South Korean Design
Part I: More Than Just Pretty: An Analysis of the Role of Design in South Korea
Design in Ancient Korea
Social Cultural Policy & Design in Modern Korea
Relevance of Design to Hallyu & International Relations
Part II: Exploring Relations Between Hangul Typography Design & Korean Cultural Identity
Historical Background & Linguistic Analysis: Hangul, the Korean Alphabet
Contextualizing Typography: the Emergence of Korean Design
Examining Contextual Socio-Political Background of Design
Contemporary Use & Relevance of Korean Typography to Cultural Identity
Part III - Proposed in 2018 Fulbright Open Study / Research Award to South Korea. Semi-Finalist
GLBL 301 Approaches to Globalization || 2017
Cosmopolitanism & Globalization: The Politics of Refugee Resettlement in Maryland through Kant’s and Beck’s Theories
Capitalism & Globalization: Analyzing the Argentina and Monsanto GMO Soybeans Conflict through Marx’s and Wallerstein’s Theories
HIST 380 Gender in Asia || 2017
Literary Creations on the Road: Assessing Status of Women in Tokugawa Japan through Travel Diaries
Film & East Asia’s New Women: Analyzing the Identity of the “Modern Girl” in Early 20th Century Korea & Japan
Women & Gender in 21st Century East Asia: Assessing the Status of Gender Equality & Discrimination in the South Korean Workplace
ART 430 Typography III || 2016
Transcending Language Barriers through Typography
Monograph: An Analysis of the Meiryo Typeface & Type Designer Eiichi Kono
Meiryo Glyph Specimen Book
ART 300 A Tale of Two Koreas: Korean Perceptions of the Past || 2016
Analyzing Presence & Absence of Juche Ideology in 1972 DPRK Film “The Flower Girl”
Fighting for What? Comparing Causes of Violence & War in DPRK’s 1982 Film “Wolmi Island” and Rok’s 2004 Film “Taegukgi”
Fighting Whom? Analyzing South Korean Perspectives of Other & Self in 2005 Film “Welcome to Dongmakgol”
ART 495 Independent Studio Research || 2015
From East to West and Back: Distinguishing Globalization from Westernization in the History & Practice of Graphic Design
MLL 327 Modern Japanese Culture || 2015
Cultural Exportation & Pink Globalization: Analyzing Soft Power in Contemporary Japan
ART 322 Survey of Japanese Art || 2015
Examining Japanese Woodblock Prints as Targets of Censorship
Edo-Period Japanese Art & the “Carnival of the Aliens”
Examining Namazu-e in the Aftermath of the Ansei Earthquake