Biography
Enrique Argueta Morales is a graphic designer who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design from Rutgers University. His practice spans multiple disciplines, including typography, layout design, and motion graphics.
He places particular emphasis on the research phase of the design process, striving to produce work that is thoroughly informed, contextually tested, and grounded in evidence. In addition, Enrique values creating designs that are engaging, visually compelling, and memorable. His broader interests include advancing environmentally sustainable design practices and promoting greater inclusivity within the graphic design field, particularly for underrepresented and underserved communities.
As the eldest of five siblings and the first in his family to pursue higher education, Enrique was raised by immigrant parents from Mexico, fostering a strong connection to his cultural heritage. Having spent his entire life in South Jersey, he moved among various towns before settling in Carneys Point. It was during his eighth-grade year in Carneys Point that he first encountered Adobe Photoshop, sparking his interest in graphic design. Four years later, he declared graphic design as his major at a local community college, and the field has remained central to his professional and creative pursuits ever since.
Artist Statement
I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. My love for reading was the foundation that allowed me to learn and eventually led me to pursue higher education. It’s thanks to a mixture of my teachers and my community that allowed me to be here. But all the while, I saw how my fellow peers in my hometown didn’t have the same opportunities and were eventually lost in the turmoil of a flawed education system. And now, even here in the home of my alma mater, I witness the same issues that affected my hometown so many years ago.
Camden, New Jersey suffers from a severe but rarely discussed problem in the community: low literacy rates. Despite attempts from the school district and the state government to ease this issue, the district suffers from a large portion of students lacking the literacy skills that are vital for adulthood. This lack of literacy skills continues throughout a cycle, where young children with weak literacy skills continue to struggle throughout higher grade levels. They are more likely to drop out of high school, and even when they graduate, they won’t or are unable to pursue higher education. When they reach adulthood, jobs are limited to low skill labor and are often underpaid. This keeps them trapped in their socioeconomic status, and this can be passed onto their children, thus continuing the cycle.
LIFT Camden is my response to this issue. LIFT is an organization that aims to create awareness, offer resources, and advocate for change in the battle against low literacy. The name is an acronym for Literacy Ignites Future Triumphs, a call to action that urges the importance of instilling young readers with the skills they need to prepare for the future. Focusing on the local level, LIFT aims to connect teachers, parents, and the community at large to create meaningful conversations and solutions in the fight against low literacy.