Ali: The Fight Beyond the Ring
Exhibited at Dominican University | 2023 Dean’s Purchase Award
This piece wasn’t just art. It was a breakthrough.
It marked a turning point where I stopped designing and started storytelling — where I learned that the real impact comes from what people feel, not just what they see.
About the Work
Muhammad Ali’s legacy is complex — a legend in the ring, but also a polarizing public figure. I wanted to explore both.
Black and white photography served as a foundation. But instead of limitation, it became a canvas.
I layered it with headlines, texture, hand-written words, and distortion — drawing the viewer into his duality: the icon and the man.
Every scribble, every overlay, every shift in tone… it’s intentional. From bold red overlays to raw, scribbled truths, this is Ali through the lens of media, resistance, and reinvention.
Lessons Learned
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The best ideas come when you let them marinate. This piece took over a month to concept — and it was worth every second.
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Working in black & white forced new forms of expression. Limitations became a launchpad.
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Great design evokes emotion. It sticks with you.
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From the media clippings to the hand-scrawled words, the more you look, the more you see.