Hadiya Williams, Decorative Artist & Surface Designer

I interviewed decorative artist and surface designer Hadiya Williams this week on the show. She is the founder and creative director of Black Pepper Paperie Co.®. We dig into how she got started in graphic design and expanded her interests into home decor over the years. Remember to share and subscribe.

Hadiya Williams is a decorative artist and surface designer based in Washington, DC. She is the founder and creative director of Black Pepper Paperie Co.®  a studio built out of a passion for creating and sharing with others. What started as a hobby-based clay business in 2017 has now evolved into a full-time decorative art and design studio, specializing in hand-made ceramics, surface pattern design, and wall art. After working as a print designer for over 15 years, Hadiya decided to use her design background to create unique objects and designs that are rooted in history, cultural memory, and migration.

Over the course of her almost 20-year career in art and design, Hadiya has collaborated with a variety of brands and companies all over the world, including well-known brands such as F. Schumacher Co., Lulu and Georgia, Brewster Home, Best Buy, WALPA (Japan), AARP, and Meta. She’s been a guest lecturer at Maryland College of Art and George Mason and her design work is also a part of the National Museum of African American History and Culture's permanent collection.

Hadiya's work brings art + design, traditions, and stories together through patterns and handmade techniques that represent cultural influences across the African diaspora, from past, present to future.