Céline Semaan-Vernon is a Lebanese-Canadian artist, designer, writer, and advocate. She is the founder of ''Slow Factory Foundation'', a 501c3 public service organization. She is on the council of

Progressive International Progressive International (PI) is an international political organisation that unites and mobilises Progressivism, progressive Left-wing politics, left-wing activists and groups. The organisation works with over 70 member groups. This comprises ...

, became a Director's Fellow of

MIT Media Lab The MIT Media Lab is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, growing out of MIT's Architecture Machine Group in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, School of Architecture. Its research does not restrict to fi ...

in 2016, and served on the board of directors of

American Institute of Graphic Arts The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity. The ...

(AIGA) NY, a nonprofit design organization.

Career

Semaan began her career as a designer and community organizer. She worked as a user-experience designer for Huge, General Assembly, and

Condé Nast Condé Nast () is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Nast (businessman), Condé Montrose Nast (1873–1942) and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the FiDi, Financial Dis ...

. As an artist and designer her work has been featured in the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

and Cooper Hewitt in New York, the

de Young Museum The de Young Museum, formally the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, is a fine arts museum located in San Francisco, California, named for early San Francisco newspaperman M. H. de Young. Located on the West Side (San Francisco), West Side of the ci ...

in San Francisco. Semaan is a recognized expert in the space of environmental and social justice. She coined the term

fashion activism Fashion activism is the practice of using fashion as a medium for social, political, and environmental change. The term has been used recurringly in the works of designers and scholars Lynda Grose, Kate Fletcher, Mathilda Hamilton, Mathilda Tham, K ...

, and has also worked extensively to raise awareness of other issues and causes around social and

environmental justice Environmental justice is a social movement that addresses injustice that occurs when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit. The movement has gene ...

by broadening her platform, such as bringing the word 'decolonize' to the pages of popular fashion magazines. She is known for her activism in social justice causes especially around refugees, cultural appropriation, and Arab identity, her advocacy for sustainable practices in fashion, and her work as a digital and product designer.

References

External links

Land Acknowledgement - Study Hall New York Times

Labor Acknowledgement In Advance Of Black History Month - Study Hall New York Times
{{DEFAULTSORT:Semaan-Vernon, Celine 1982 births Living people Writers from Beirut Lebanese expatriates in the United States Lebanese activists Lebanese women activists Lebanese women fashion designers Artists from Beirut