Rafael Esquer / alfalfa studio
A native of the Sonora desert of Mexico, Esquer chose Day of the Dead (November 1) to establish alfalfa-seeds.com in order to emphasize the brand's connection to the rich tradition of Mexican graphic arts.
Since 2004 Esquer has run alfalfa studio, his own interdisciplinary design studio in SoHo in New York City. His design philosophy is "make the idea clear and simple, but the design surprising and beautiful." In 2007, Taschen included Esquer in its volume of the world's 100 most progressive graphic designers working today (Contemporary Graphic Design. Charlotte and Peter Fiell, eds.).
Above: Rafael Esquer. Left: alfalfa studio.
2004, Vote Poster. Client: AIGA
Esquer's clients at alfalfa have included The Philip Johnson Glass House, The Houston Rockets, The New York Times Magazine, Nike, Bjork, AIGA, Tommy Boy Records, Target, The Center for Architecture, Scholastic, the City of New York, and MTV. Some of his work is contained in the Library of Congress poster collection, the Museum of Fine Art in Montreal, the Poster Museum in Poland and the Olympic Museum in Switzerland.
Before opening alfalfa, Esquer was Creative Director at @radical.media in New York, where his group's work in communication design received the National Design Award in 2004 from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.
2002, Bjork Cocoon. Client: Bjork
2003, Made in NY brand. Client: The City of New York
2003, Houston Rockets brand. Client: NBA's Houston Rockets
2005, Hispanic Heritage Month TV Campaign. Client: MTV Networks
2006, Chavela Live at Carnegie Hall. Client: TommyBoy Records
Esquer frequently serves as judge and speaker at national and international design events. He currently sits on the Advisory Board for AIGA's Diversity Archives, curating the first exhibition of contemporary and twentieth-century work by minority graphic designers.
Esquer received his BFA with distinction in graphic design from Art Center College of Design. He has made New York City his home for 12 years.
2006, Forever Now Banner. Client: AIGA, WorldStudio Foundation, Square Alliance
