Back Matter, Issue 07

In the final course of my Master’s program at The New School in New York City, I participated in Back Matter, a student-run publication created entirely from scratch by students in the Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism program. Each semester, the cohort develops an editorial and design concept that captures the cultural moment through a deeply collaborative and creative process. For our seventh issue, we explored what it means to live in the present, stepping away from the screens that dominate our lives to observe and connect with the world around us.

I served as Art Director and close assistant to the Creative Director for this edition. I sourced visual materials, conceptualized layout designs, and contributed to the magazine’s overall aesthetic direction, working closely alongside the Creative Director throughout the process.

For the issue’s cover shoot and select interior visuals, I co-styled, creatively directed, conceptualized, and scouted and selected models in collaboration with the Creative Director. My photography from the cover shoot and additional projects was featured both on the cover and throughout the magazine.

This role allowed me to help shape a cohesive visual narrative aligned with the issue’s central themes of presence, community, and contemporary disconnection—and what it means to return to the world “away from keyboard.”