Riley Johns is a senior at Georgia College & State University, studying Art with a focus in Graphic Design. Based in Savannah, Georgia, she’s passionate about design and will be pursuing a career in interior design, specializing in custom homes. Riley also uses her graphic design skills to create unique merchandise for small businesses, combining creativity with practical application. Her work reflects a strong commitment to both artistic expression and functional design.
Project Statement
For this project, I’m creating a collection of artworks to honor my uncle and younger cousin, who passed away during my time in college. The work focuses on a staged wall that represents what I value most in my relationships with them. Through these pieces, I will tell their stories, celebrate their lives, and express my grief. I will include paintings of oysters, a boat, a crab, fish, and a heron—each symbolizing family connections—and a marsh scene that reflects our shared heritage. I am also handcrafting driftwood frames using found driftwood from Savannah, adding a unique, personal touch to each piece. These elements form a visual narrative of love, loss, and remembrance.
Artist Statement
My time in college has been a journey of learning techniques and discovering more profound meaning. As a graphic design major, I’ve also explored painting and drawing, but this capstone project is where I’m genuinely combining them. At first, my project reflected my college experience—something visually striking but not fully developed. I started with abstract designs and random graphics to experiment. However, my work began to evolve through research and conversations with professors and mentors. I noticed patterns in the sea life and coastal sceneries I was drawn to—symbols of life, death, love, and grief. In their fragility and abundance, these creatures became a way for me to explore what it means to live, love, and experience loss. Artists like Elizabeth Becker, Ray Ellis, and Eugenia Gorbacheva who explore memory, family, and place, inspire this project.