The Stories We Keep

Designing a Dialogue Between Past and Present

The Stories We Keep: Conserving Objects from Ancient Egypt was a dynamic temporary exhibit at Carnegie Museum of Natural History (running from March 2024 to September 2025) that focused on the origin stories of historic objects while emphasizing the role of museum conservators in preserving them for future generations. By pairing ancient items with modern counterparts, the exhibit encouraged reflection on what we leave behind and how objects preserve the essence of human life across millennia. 

My role in the project was to create a visual identity for the exhibition and develop all visual components in a manner that balanced the aspects of a modern laboratory with the tactile warmth of handmade elements. This was achieved through clean typography, structured layouts, and vibrant color palettes juxtaposed with hand-drawn illustrations, paper textures, and handwritten annotations inspired by conservators’ notes. All elements successfully came together to create a narrative-driven experience that invited visitors to explore ancient Egyptian artifacts while gaining insight into the museum’s conservation work.