Storiography is the documentary work of designer Christiana Aretta.

I’m Christiana Aretta, the founder and heart of Storiography . I’m a fourth-generation Washingtonian with roots in Tennessee, Ohio and Cuba. My family moved to Texas when I was 9, I spent 7 years in Los Angeles after art school, and 3 years in Japan before returning to DC in 2007.

I am a multi-disciplinary artist dedicated to the art and preservation of stories. Whether I am holding a camera or a Wacom tablet pen, my primary tools are an adherence to clear, elegant design and a deep love of narrative expression.

I’ve had a creative hand in a broad range of projects, including branding and identity for Open Forum Foundation and GovLuv. I’ve written, directed and animated shorts for AtomFilms and Microsoft and prototyped applications for mobile devices.

I’ve photographed beautiful third-world artisan crafts for the IFC and the dirty, discarded evidence of Saturday night in Adams Morgan. I’ve captured the outrage of legendary farmer Joel Salatin, the thoughtfulness of healer Bob Duggan, and righteous poetry of actress Sonja Sohn.

My work has won an Honorary Mention from CommArts, been exhibited in DC, and published in print and online. My personal documentary project “100 English Dreams” was featured in The Japan Times and my green tomato ketchup recipe was a Finalist at the Mid-Atlantic Red Fruit Festival.

I’ve been chased by monkeys on a bike trail, completed three triathlons, and taught English for three years to over 1000 schoolchildren in Japan. I’ve presented about Japanese school life and culture to student ambassadors, Capitol Pecha Kucha attendees, and the 2010 Japan Bowl.

I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, magna cum laude from Howard University in 1997. I’ve also studied life drawing at the Corcoran, drawing for animation with Glenn Vilppu, and Japanese at UCLA.

My favorite stories are Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, Craig Thompson’s Blankets, and the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men. My personal everyday story includes a little of the following: growing and making my own food, running, swimming, and biking, watching/reading everything around me intently, and creating a new economy for story-artists. It’s told mainly in English, with quite a few chapters in broken Spanish and Japanese.

I can be reached in the studio at 202-713-5329 or at info@storiography.com during normal work hours. You can also follow me any time on Twitter or, if you’re interested in working together, feel free to say hi on LinkedIn.