AFRICA Poster by Gladys Acosta Ávila

Gladys Acosta Ávila contributed a massive visual design impact within her work with OSPAAAL. OSPAAAL was a Cuban organization dedicated to anti-imperialist solidarity. This 1970 poster she created was for The International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa. 

The work of female graphic designers is not often represented within Cuban visual art, so this makes Gladys Acosta Ávila a stand out and impactful designer within her time. This poster design is able to implement an impactful culmination of visuals and typography. She is able to transform the word Africa into a spear, often used to represent resistance. The poster also features barbed wire, a recurring motif within African solidarity posters, as they served as a visual representation of oppression, one they were pushing to overcome. 

Ávila's contributions played a pivotal role in branding activism within OSPAAAL itself.  As a woman in a field dominated by men especially at the time, she helped redefine the role women designers. She used her voice to challenge oppression. In addition to that she was, as an artist able to amplify the struggles of marginalized communities. 

Sources:

https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Gladys-Acosta-Avila/E78D48DC0082EFEE/Biography
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50304024
https://www.atm-magazine.com/online/manifesto-for-black-internationalism
https://portside.org/node/21394/printable/print
https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/psychedelia-satire-solidarity-cubas-revolutionary-posters-showcase-the-countrys-golden-age-of-graphic-design/
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O102212/africa-poster-acosta-gladis/