Photo: Kerry Kehoe
I am a member of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation—Toronto-born, USA-raised, and living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. My name is Neebinnaukzhik Southall. Neebinnaukzhik means “Summer Evening” in the Anishinaabe language. I often go by Neebin. I am two-spirit. My pronouns are they/them.
Neebin Studios is my small creative business—I am a graphic designer, illustrator, artist, photographer, writer, editor, and speaker. I prioritize meaningful projects benefiting Native peoples. I have been working within the Native art world since 2012. I bring years of experience in Intertribal, Tribal, and multicultural contexts to my work. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion every day.
I design for cultural and arts organizations, museums, educational institutions, magazines, small businesses, and groups that align with my social and political values. I do publication design, layout design, exhibition signage, ads, branding, logos, illustrations, and more. Clients include the Detroit Institute of Arts, First Americans Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and the Santa Fe Art Institute.
My illustration work is deeply informed by my Ojibwe culture.
My arts writing covers Indigenous North American art, graphic design, and fashion design. I have written for AIGA, First American Art Magazine, Hyperallergic, Letterform Archive, the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Santa Fean’s Native Arts magazine, the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Indian Market and Legacy magazines, and the Peabody Essex Museum’s Connections, among others.
My editing work is specialized within art and design, with a particular preference toward Native subject matter. I served as a developmental editor, copy editor, and proofreader on the upcoming Designed to Be Red by Brian Johnson, which will be the first major publication dedicated to Native graphic design.
I have raised the profile of Indigenous North American graphic designers through my advocacy work. In 2022, I co-curated Ezhishin, the first conference featuring Native North American typography, hosted by the Type Directors Club. I maintain a list of Indigenous graphic designers at the Native Graphic Design Project.