Karmele Leizaola with Faride Mereb and Oriana Nuzzi: Pioneering Venezuelan Design

This TRIPLE feature episode explores the groundbreaking career of Venezuelan graphic designer Karmele Leizaola, whose pioneering work shaped the nation’s design identity. Guests Faride Mereb and Oriana Nuzzi, Venezuelan designers now based in Brooklyn, share their research on Leizaola’s legacy and reflect on how her vision continues to influence contemporary design and their own creative journeys.

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About Karmele Leizaola:

First documented woman to work as a graphic designer in Venezuela. She is considered a pioneer of editorial design in Venezuela, working at several independent and her work has been influential for many generations of editorial designers.

Karmele was born in 1929 in Basque Country in Spain and starting at the age of 7, she was uprooted twice, first fleeing from the Spanish Civil War, and settling in France, and then fleeing France because of WWII, finally landing in Venezuela.

Her father was a printer and photojournalist which led to her connections and interest to becoming a publication graphic designer for various magazines and newspapers.

Her 55+ year career spanned from early layout design to hiring and consulting for countless publications.

Learn More at karmeleleizaola.com
 

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About Faride Mereb & Oriana Nuzzi

Faride  and Oriana, both talented designers from Venezuela are now based in Brooklyn, where they co-direct Letra Muerta, a studio that specializes in art books.

Their dedication to preserving and celebrating Karmele's contributions to graphic design is nothing short of remarkable. In this interview they explain how they first came across her work, and how they’ve pushed through hours of research in Venezuela’s National Library. They took this research and created newspapers and zines of her work, and even Karmele’s wikipedia page is thanks to them.

Faride is an award-winning book designer, researcher, editor, and art director. Her love of books has deeply influenced her work. She’s worked for Penguin Random House, Kenning Editions, and is a member of the American Printing History Association.

Her friend and colleague Oriana, is an editorial designer and book designer. She has an artistic approach to her work, after first studying to be an artist. Along with Faride, she works on preserving and showcasing archival materials, while also exhibiting the work of Venezuelan artists and writers, and their cultural contributions.

Learn more about Faride and Oriana's studio Letra Muerta: https://letramuerta.nyc/
Follow their studio on IG: @letramuertainc
Follow Faride Mereb: @fmereb
Follow Oriana Nuzzi: @orianamrgarita

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View all the visually rich 1-min reels of each woman on IG below:

Instagram: Amber Asay
Instagram: Women Designers Pod