November 13, 2019 #MINNAatHome

#MINNAatHome : People We Love – Artist Marleigh Culver

Marleigh Culver is a creative lead, consultant and artist based in Brooklyn, New York who spends her time between branding and marketing design projects and painting in her studio. We connected with Marleigh recently and were instantly obsessed with the way she uses color in her spaces and paintings alike.

By Lucille Corbit

How would you describe your design process?

Usually I’ll have a client come to me with an idea of what they want and what work of mine they like. This is the perfect approach, especially if they have brand guidelines to follow. When I start with all rules/restrictions/wants/needs in the beginning, I can take a deep breath and look inward of what ideas immediately jump to mind. From there, I do a kind of visual dump of anything that’s fitting for the project. That’s obviously the fun part before you get any feedback! After that, it’s back and forth and a dance to get the project to finished. This is the same with my personal work, there’s just more time and forgiveness.

What are three words to describe your design aesthetic?

Excited, bold, abstract.

At MINNA we believe in creating beautiful, ethically made products and using business to do good - how do these concepts relate to or inspire your process?

It’s hard to be an artist and a designer because you have to play the line between personal work and making money to pay the bills. I still believe that it’s possible to have a job doing what you love that benefits everyone. I want to spread beauty through what I do, and work with people who are real and honest and curious people. I am absolutely frightened by how humans over time have made things for convenience that are breaking down our planet. I would love to find ways to use what I do to help that, but at the end of the day, aesthetics are only so much, and action must be taken. I am inspired by various artists or instagrammers that believe in spreading word about the worlds problems and acting on them and that really motivates me.

What about your home makes it feel like home? What is a favorite memory of yours in your home?

We just moved in two months ago to this new apartment we’re renting! I am absolutely in love with it. I clean it once a week and we have donated so many things before moving here to be able to make space for special and well-made things. I just feel like it’s the first apartment I’ve lived in that feels like a real home and feels like who I am. Every piece we’ve bought is so special. I love watching the sunset from the couch, it’s really special.