Meet Rhiannon Balliette: Graphic Designer, Photographer, and Jewelry Maker

Rhiannon Balliette is a graduate of Columbus State University, completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a concentration in Graphic Design in May of this year. Rhiannon’s work covers multiple disciplines including graphic design, photography, media that are considered ‘artisanal’ like jewelry making, as well as dabbling in traditional mediums such as printmaking. Rhiannon’s work and passion, however, are mainly for digital artistic media, relating to both ‘commercial’ art with her graphic design work and ‘fine art’ with her photography. Rhiannon has also developed other perspectives on the art field, especially relating to her time working at her current job at the Columbus State University's Illges Gallery.

Rhiannon Balliette

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: How did you ‘dive into’ art? What was your original inspiration that led you to pursue art?

A: When I was young, my sister was always drawing, and that led me to want to be artistic and creative as well. My sister was older than me, so I never thought I would achieve the same skill level as she had, but I was encouraged to continue.

My aunt had an Ansel Adams photograph in her living room, and I’d always ask her about it. That’s what led me towards nature photography, which is the main theme that I explore. When I was around 12, my dad got me a Nikon D 3300 Camera, and I still use that camera to this day.

Rhiannon Balliette, Finding Light Series, 2024.

Q: With your personal photography work, what do you explore?

A: I love exploring landscapes. I’ve been working on a project called Finding Light that I started as a student and have continued after graduating. 

In Finding Light, I want to show just how much lighting can affect a photograph. I challenge myself to go out primarily during dusk and find places with some form of light. I try to use or emphasize the light that is already there by using things like lighting boxes to make it more visually interesting.

Q: In addition to doing personal photography work, do you also do ‘commercial’ photography work?

A: I do! I have done photography for weddings, senior photos, and couples or engagement photos.

Q: How did you get involved with creating jewelry? Creating jewelry is different from your preferred medium of digital work.

A: My grandma made jewelry, and she passed her jewelry kit to me. During COVID, I was so bored, so I decided to try it. I ended up falling in love with it. I try to make unique pieces that are not seen commonly.

I sell my jewelry uptown at Market Days every Saturday from 9:00 am to noon.

Q: You also work for the Illges Gallery at CSU. How did that come about and how has that impacted your work? How do you use your skills for the gallery?

A: About two years ago, I started working as an intern. When I graduated, Hannah Israel offered me the gallery coordinator position. I do things like creating graphics for promotional material for the gallery, and I also organize events and exhibitions. It has given me an understanding of things that go on behind the scenes to run a successful gallery.

Sometimes when I come into the gallery, I realize I have forgotten how amazing the artwork is. It affects my work because it inspires me to continue creating more polished and clean designs while also adding an ‘edge’ of myself into my designs. With working in a gallery, there is a standard for designs that go out, and that has helped my own work grow.

Q: I know you are involved in the Columbus Artists’ Guild. How has that community had a positive impact on you?

A: I am a board member of the Columbus Artists’ Guild, and that has allowed me to interact with so many different people and businesses. I started going there as a student, and being there now is still so much fun. It’s interesting to see the behind-the-scenes perspective of the guild and how they make it work. I’ve been able to help with other things such as website design and PR for them.

We would like more students to join the guild because it would be nice to mix different groups of artists.

Q: Earlier in the interview, I referred to a difference between ‘fine art’ and ‘commercial art.’ I don’t think that was a fair assessment. How do you view those terms and how do they connect for you who is in both ‘fields?’ Do you draw a line between the two?

A: It’s so tough to define. Even with ‘commercial’ work, you are still being artistic, even if it is in a different way for a different reason. As a student, there would be exhibits, and I didn’t know if I could show my graphic design work. I didn’t know if it was viewed as art, because it was branding work. I believe that they are both forms of art, even if they are used in different ways.

Rhiannon Balliette, Subconscious Consumerism, 2024. 

Q: In your time as a student, who had the biggest impact on your work?

A: My professors Samantha Yoo and Hannah Israel have had the largest impacts on me and my work.

Samantha is a great mentor and professor; she was the second professor I had in graphic design. It was difficult to learn graphic design at first, especially because I was learning online during COVID. The next semester, she popped in, changing my perspective and teaching me everything I know. I am so grateful for her, and I don’t know if I’d still be doing design if it wasn’t for her.

Hannah is an incredible mentor and has always given me so many opportunities such as working in the Illges Gallery, and she has always inspired me to think differently during my senior thesis exhibition. She pushed and encouraged me to pursue designs about things that I loved and was passionate about, and I chose to pursue creating designs about sustainability and environmental issues. My body of work for the exhibition was called Subconscious Consumerism, a body of work that dealt with overconsumption. I created different brands and PR material for them to show different ways that people may fall prey to impulse buying. Through this, I was able to educate the audience on the different forms of consumerism that they have. It combined branding design, a topic I am passionate about, and I was able to present it in a gallery.

Q: Where do you see your work going in the future?

A: I see myself growing artistically with all of the different mediums that I use. I would like to pursue branding design, public relations, and design for a company, as well as continue working as a freelance designer. When it comes to my photography, I plan to continue with different projects such as Finding Light. For jewelry, I want to continue to create new, original pieces.

Connect with Rhiannon:

Email: rhiballiettebusiness@gmail.com

Websites: 

https://rhiannonballiette.wixsite.com/site

https://rhiscollections.bigcartel.com