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 (Art History, Social Theory, Anthroplogy, Museum Studeis) 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 VCU
2022-2023

Adjunct Professor (contract)
Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Design
2021-2022

Content Developer & QA
Ozmo, Inc.
2020-2022

Curatorial & Exhibitions Graduate Assistant
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 Hale)So it appears was a major group exhibition at the ICA at VCU — 26 projects, 19 artists, 40+ works, 15 countries, 5 continents — spanning the museum's first floor, second floor, and lower level galleries. The show examined how abstraction can operate as a visual strategy — not as a retreat from the world, but as a means of revealing 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 employs archival photographs from past shows, video footage of current students working, a dynamic typography based on over and underexposure in photography, atmospheric gradients in deep purples and blues, and the strategic use of negative space 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 the layouts for a spiral-bound, 40+ page publication. 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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