SHANICE AGA
shaniceaga@gmail.com
Shanice Aga (b.1995) is a Indi*Ethiopi*Florid-ian designer and visual artist. A trained architect and material culturalist, she is inspired by (ancient→pop) cultural phenomena and human expression.
Aga designs for brands, museums, and artists across mediums, from digital and print to IRL experiences.
CV
Education
M.A., Material Culture
+ Public Humanities
Virginia Tech
(2 Years)
B.Arch, Architecture /
Minor: Art History
Virginia Tech
Residencies:
Riva San Vitale, Switzerland
WAAC Washington, D.C.
(5 years)
Employment Co-founder, Creative & Operations
HOYEHH Chili Oil
2023-2026
Senior Graphic Designer
Marketing & Communications
VCUarts
2023-2026
Exhibitions / Environmental Graphic Designer (contract)
Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University
2022-2023
Adjunct Professor (contract)
College of Architecture, Arts
and Design
2021-2022
Content Developer & QA
Ozmo, Inc.
2020-2022
Curatorial & Exhibitions
Graduate Assistant (contract)
Moss Arts Center
2018-2020
Curatorial & Design Internship
Taubman Museum of Art
2018
Art Director
ThriftED Mag
2016-2020
General Manager
Art Director
DJ
WUVT 90.7 FM
2014-2018
Student Advisor
Graphics Head
Layouts/Publication Design
Studio Collective Design Journal
2014-2020
AwardsWebby Winner, School/University Website/Mobile Site; The Webby Awards, 2025
Regional Best, District III, Alumni Magazine, CASE Circle of Excellence, 2025
Regional Best, District III, Publication Design, CASE Circle of Excellence, 2025
Silver Award, Complete Publication/Issue, University & College Designers Association (UCDA), 2025
Judge’s Choice and Excellence Award, Entire Site; UCDA, 2025
Excellence Award, Publication Design/Viewbook; UCDA, 2025
Honorable Mention, Event Collateral; UCDA, 2025
Bronze Award, Publication Design; CASE Circle of Excellence, 2025
Silver Award, Integrated Campaigns; UCDA, 2024
Rising Star in Tech, Nominee; Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC), Ozmo, 2020
Ellen Braaten Media Award, College of Architecture + Urban Studies; Virginia Tech (VT), 2018
Last Updated Feb. 2026 SELECTED WORK
McLean,
2023-24
My Role(s):
Design Lead (in-house)
Color Correction/Matching
Digitization of Artwork
Scaling/Formatting (for print on vinyl)
Planning/Organization
Tools:
InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
Photo: Navine G. Dossos, McLean, 2023, printed adhesive vinyl, dimensions variable, installation view from second floor terrace, ICA at VCU. ICA Commission. (artwork © Navine G. Dossos, photograph by David Hale)
I collaborated with artist Navine G. Dossos to use selected pieces from her series of watercolor paintings, No Such Organisation, to create a new vinyl mural titled McLean on the facade of the Institute for Contemporary art at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Collaborator(s):
Navine G. Dossos, Artist
Meredith Carrington, Marketing Director
Sarah Rifky, Curator
Cut Cut Creative, Vinyl Installation
David Hale, Photographer
So it appears...,
2023
My Role(s):
Graphic Design
Exhibition Signage & Object Labels
Environmental Graphics/Wayfinding
Publication Design
Vinyl Design & File Preparation
Large-Format Print Production
Fabrication Support
Tools:
InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
Photo: So it appears, installation view, ICA
at VCU, 2023. (artwork © Jeewi Lee,
Pak Sheung Chuen; photograph by David HaleSo it appears was a major group exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University featuring 19 artists from 15 different countries. The show celebrated how abstraction can reveal what is otherwise difficult or impossible to represent.
Collaborator(s):
Meredith Carrington, Marketing Director
Anya Kobayashi, Graphic Designer
Andy Clifford, Chief Preparator
Sarah Rifky, Curator
Yomna Osman, Curitorial Fellow
Cut Cut Creative, Vinyl Team
David Hale, Photographer
Evoke,
2025
My Role(s):
Design Lead (in-house)
Creative Direction
Graphic Design
Experience Design
Event Planning
Tools:
InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
Adobe ExpressVCUarts annual fashion event. 2025 theme: evoke. We drew inspiration from the lingering impact and dreamlike quality of memories and emotions. The visual identity uses archival photographs from past shows, video footage of current students working in their classrooms and studios, a typography based on over and underexposure in photography, and atmospheric gradients in deep purple hues to create a sense of emergence and ephemerality.
Collaborator(s):
Ryan Sprowl, Art Director
McNair Evans, Photography
Taylor Quinn / Filmspire, Videography
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Viewbook,
2024-25
My Role(s):
Graphic Design (in-house)
Stakeholder Collaboration
Layout Design
Photo Direction
Strategy + Planning
Tools:
InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
Figma
Redesign of the VCUarts Undergraduate Viewbook, the school's primary recruitment publication, from stakeholder strategy through final production. I facilitated cross-departmental planning with the Admissions team, provided direction for the visual approach, and designed layouts. The project won a Regional Best and Bronze Award from CASE and an Excellence Award from UCDA.
Collaborator(s):
Ryan Sprowl, Art Director
McNair Evans, Photography
VCUarts Office of Communications
VCUarts Office of Admissions
VCUarts Website Redesign, 2024-25
My Role(s):
Graphic Design (in-house)
Brand/Design Direction
Content Migration
QA
Tools:
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Wordpress
Collaborator(s):
FastSpot, External Web Design Team
Ryan Sprowl, Interim Exec. Director of Communications
Lena Zharekhin, Senior Content Developer
Will Weaver, Content Developer
McNair Evans, Photography
Brian Ivasauskas, Copywriting/Assoc. Dir. of Content
Award(s):
Webby Winner, Best in Websites/Mobile Sites, School/University, The Webby Awards, 2025
Judge’s Choice, Entire Site; UCDA
Design Awards, 2025
Excellence Award, Entire Site; UCDA Design Awards, 2025
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