Meet James Naser | Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Naser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I did not initially believe that I could pursue an artistic profession. In grade school I viewed art almost exclusively as a hobby, just arts and crafts that I could do in my free time. I didn’t put much consideration into the idea that art and design are key influential factors in culture and life in general. I had an interest in science, particularly environmental science, so I assumed I would work towards a job in that field. I then started to realize in high school that being creative for a living is very plausible. We had an extensive art program where we got to touch on many different mediums, and I quickly bonded with the teachers in the program. From that point I knew I could not see myself doing anything else. I am not sure about a lot of things in life, but this is one thing that I am 100% certain about. I am currently a month away from graduating as a graphic/motion designer from SCAD and I still cannot see myself pursuing anything else.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I strive to create work that makes people curious. There is a specific sense of wonder that people receive from certain experiences, which is what I am trying to capture. A lot of this wonder stems from street art. The very concept of street art is synonymous with this feeling. Let’s create art and place it where it either isn’t expected or “shouldn’t be.”

I remember the very first time I encountered a piece of street art. I saw one of Shepard Fairey’s Obey Giant stickers on a utility box in the forest and I thought it was some kind of warning label until I realized there was no true meaning behind the sticker. I began to wonder why someone would put it there, why someone would even make something like that. It made me want to know more. I became determined to figure something out that does not have a concrete explanation. That curious determination to find out more is what I want people feel when they look at my work.

Recently over the past year I have been pushing myself to expand my knowledge into new mediums, specifically motion design. I’ve particularly been intrigued by the ability to merge physical and digital techniques into one seamless piece. I just recently finished a school project for MURAL Festival, which is a must-see event held in Montreal each year. I got to play with many different stop motion techniques, such as frame-by-frame tape collages and paintings, to create authentic feeling motion within a final digital product. I’ve also been doing more traditional motion work. It is really exciting because I finally reached a skill level where I have been able to go back and animate an old project exactly the way I wanted to but couldn’t before. I created an Apple watch face inspired by the Chinese incense clock where the numbers morph in this smoky haze that then turns into the next minute.

In terms of graphic design, my work is much more adaptable to what the brief demands. I just finished working on a case study for a conceptual design conference called Avant La Lettre. This annual conference would focus on establishing young designers, looking into the trends of the future while remembering the influence of the past. I tried to express a sense of elevation through the visual language, as that is what we do when we attend conferences, we are elevating ourselves: meeting new people and learning new things.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you’re going for something new yet familiar in Savannah, I recommend Brochu’s Family Tradition. They just opened right off of Bull Street not too long ago and I can confidently say they make some of the best chicken sandwiches I have ever had. Their menu consists of fried chicken and high-end seafood, the best of both worlds.

If you are looking for something more by the water, I would check out The Wyld Dock Bar. Located in an unsuspecting suburb of Savannah, this outdoor restaurant sits right next to an active dock with amazing views. While their menu may be small, the food fails to disappoint. They also make a mean painkiller slushie.

On a completely different and slightly more eerie note, the Graveface Museum on River Street is a fascinating museum that showcases every type of oddity you can think of: Taxidermy, cults, ghosts, old medical equipment, and pinball machines, of course. It is definitely worth checking out if you are into that kind of stuff.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As I mentioned previously, I became very close to my art teachers in high school. One teacher in particular, Leanne Argonish, I got very close with to the point where she was basically my second mom. She really pushed me to be active in the art community. With her help I entered the Congressional Art Competition which lead to my work being hung in the Capitol Building for a year. I developed exponentially in that period of my life which in turn pushed me to pursue design as a career. And of course I would not be anywhere close to where I am right now if it wasn’t for my parents. They have been and are still immensely supportive of everything I do creatively. Growing up, arts and crafts were a majority of my life. Then it became summer camps and workshops. Then art school. At every step of the way they’ve always been there which I am grateful for.

Website: jamesnaser.com

Instagram: @jamn.it.art

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-naser/