While running a letter of the ‘Extra Mile’ typeface, I found a wallet on the floor, located the owner on Facebook and returned it to him. A karmic journey began. Terrence Phearse (wallet guy) is a talented American photographer/curator. Both keen to collaborate after a unique introduction, Phearse approached me with a stack of research and a creative work ethic that continues to inspire me almost three years later. The Color Line is the first of many collaborative projects we have now worked on together.

W.E.B. Du Bois in Paris, the 1900 exhibition, has been credited for shattering myths about Black America. It was composed of a set of intricate and creative infographics, alongside some of the earliest photographs of Black Americans, most of which resemble mugshots. Phearse shot a series of photographs of black men in a similar style to the aforementioned exhibition. To accompany these images, I recreated, then manipulated Du Bois’ infographics to design the cover, and integrated them into spreads.