Photos by Caitlin Abrams
Leeya Rose Jackson Nicole Crowder
Leeya Rose Jackson (left), a creative director, chats with editor-at-large Nicole Crowder at Jackson’s Noisemaker Design studio in Northeast Minneapolis.
From painter and illustrator to creative director, fashion designer, and product photographer, there are few areas in the art and advertising landscape that designer Leeya Rose Jackson has not touched. Jackson and editor-at-large Nicole Crowder chat astrophysics, Beyoncé, and everything in between.
“Maximalism and this idea of constantly thinking and exploring—that’s just who I am, and I find that beautiful.”
— Leeya Rose Jackson
Q: You’re a multi-hyphenate artist across mediums. Have you always been tapped into the creative arts?
A: I’m originally from Detroit and was in a math and science program out there. I love science so much that I thought that I was going to be an astrophysicist. But I also always loved art, and designed people’s prom dresses, but I didn’t think that it was something I could do as a job. I went to undergrad at Wesleyan outside of Chicago, where I got my BFA with a concentration in paint and printmaking. My mom was the one who encouraged me to pursue art, saying, “Girl, you know you want to study art; just do it!” Once I graduated, I became an arts administrator working in gallery spaces making very little money.
Q: What led you from Chicago to Minneapolis?
A: I loved the work, but I didn’t want to have to be dependent on showing and selling my work in a gallery. I remember Googling “art direction,” and I thought, That sounds fun because you’re solving problems—it has a formula like in science. Around this time, I moved to Minneapolis, where after going to school for two years to build a portfolio, I became an art director, which I did for six years. I loved [it], but because it’s a demanding field that requires so much time and can be a creative drain, I lost my art practice.
Q: And is that the point when you felt like shifting away from advertising into something of your own—your design shop, Noisemaker?
A: I started slowly. In advertising, my biggest critique would be, “This design is nice, but it’s too loud; it’s too bold for these companies.” And the thing is: They weren’t wrong. I was designing for large corporations that were not going to take risks design-wise. I needed an outlet and got started with people I knew who were like, “Oh, could you design that for me?” The boldness worked well for small brands and organizations that were trying to stand out and that it would feel authentic for. I also wanted to get back into painting and creating for myself again. Noisemaker is a graphic design and branding design identity entity. As I’ve done more illustration, more people come to me for the blending of the two. So I get to do more illustrative type of design where I incorporate art and design. It’s not completely full service but if you want the design identity, product packaging design and/or product photography I do that as well.
Q: On that note of personal branding, your work radiates bold, maximalist design. Was that always the signature you wanted in your brand?
A: Everything has philosophy behind it, and everything has a political nature to it. Growing up, I used to love pink, and somewhere in art school, I was given these messages that to be a serious artist you had to have moody color palettes. And when I looked at my artwork from college, I could tell I was restrained. I took a break and went into another area of design where [graphics] were simplified and everybody’s logos were stripped down to the ethos of “simple” and the “pure,” and I started to ask, “Well, where are these words coming from?” I was getting bolder and going outside of that matrix.
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Jackons work space
Jackson’s bold patterns and colors in art and apparel are designed in homage to Black femme innovators, such as sculptor Augusta Savage and author Zora Neale Hurston.
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Jackson's workspace
Q: Your fashion line, Loud Pigmnt, is also super indicative of that boldness.
A: I was looking for a sustainable brand that was maximalist in its colors and prints but also size inclusive, and I could not find any. The issue is not in just existing as a size-inclusive brand but having enough clothes for people to wear over all the seasons. For me, it became this thing of, “If you can’t find something, maybe you’re the one to create it.”
Q: It’s clear from your Instagram that you are a Beyoncé fan (as am I). I’m curious what facets of Beyoncé resonate with you in terms of how you create and what you are creating.
A: I love Beyoncé. I’ve always loved her music, but I think it was a point where I started to see her process and how there was a lot going into the music—like the hard work, but also vision. Her having the vision for something and the DNA to execute on that vision and being able to explore is what I love. I want to get better at the team aspect like she does to take things to another level. I like how she’s able to delegate and work as a team to make a vision come to life because, as a Libra, I’m always scared of my indecisiveness. But learning about my neurodivergence gave me the freedom of feeling, like, OK, this is just how I am. Maximalism and this idea of constantly thinking and exploring—that’s just who I am, and I find that beautiful.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. To learn more about Jackson’s work, visit noisemakerdesign.com.
