This year, we are excited to welcome Mary Y. Yang as the UWP’s second Writer-in-Residence. Yang’s expansive, interdisciplinary work examines the intersections of design with language, identity, diaspora, and cultural memory.

She is the co-founder of Radical Characters, a study group and curatorial project that researches and explores graphic design, typography, and culture through 汉字 Hanzi (Chinese characters). Yang is also an Assistant Professor at Boston University where she teaches in the undergraduate and graduate Graphic Design programs. Her research and pedagogical approach examine how language, particularly multilingual writing and design, can serve as a tool for cultural exchange, cultivating collection sites for knowledge, and bridging cross-cultural dialogue to foster deeper understanding and connection across diverse communities. Yang’s work has been recognized and featured in Communication Arts, Graphic Design USA, PRINT Magazine, AIGA, and Design 360° Magazine.

Tone in Tongue exhibition view, Bolsky Gallery, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, LA, 2025. Photo by Zengyi Zhao, Sight Photography.

Radical Character’s exhibition Tone in Tongue opened Monday, October 20 at MICA’s Bronze Gallery. Tone in Tongue, the exhibition title and a play on words, draws from the Hanzi character 同 tóng (together or in common) and is composed of the radicals 凡 fán (all) and 口 kǒu (mouth or gateway), symbolizing a shared language. As a shared character that transforms across time and traverses geographic and cultural boundaries, Tone in Tongue offers a point of entry open to multiple interpretations: What does it mean to share a “common language” in contemporary design? Tone in Tongue features the work of 50 international designers and 100 publications. The exhibition includes commissioned posters by international studios; contributions from emerging practitioners selected through an open call; a curated collection of independent publications; and a design magazine tour.

We deeply admire Mary’s embodiment of many UWP pedagogical ideas through her practice and are so excited to share space with her this year. She will be leading a series of workshops and campus pop-up events this fall–please stay tuned via email for event details!