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Leading Design: A Typeface Emerges From Where There Were Tattoos
Graphic designer Ishan Khosla collaborates with Gond tribal women to revive their tattoo designs in a modern way
Aditi Sharma Maheshwari
4 September 2017
Blogger, dog mom
Leading Design is a series that explores new innovations, practices and out-of-the-box routes and enquiries pursued by India’s talented design thinkers.
Rich designs of dazzling diversity, carried by a vibrant, living culture, make Indian arts and crafts special – and when that culture starts dying, it spells the death of centuries of rich traditions and knowledge. Over time, with rapid modernisation, many traditional art forms have witnessed a diminishing demand. Artists who have carried forward generations of craft knowledge are today unable to find ways to sustain their skills and expertise. Many practices are now on the brink of extinction. It is therefore imperative that we become mindful about issues that deal with heritage, culture and history, and encourage mediums that preserve age-old practices.
The Typecraft Initiative addresses this concern. Founded by Delhi-based graphic designer Ishan Khosla, this self-initiated, self-funded project aims is to help artisans sustain their livelihood through the creation and sale of typefaces. This project is meant as a way for craftspeople and tribal artists to think in new ways. The typefaces are also meant to inspire, create awareness and generate further interest in the art, history, context, life and even the living traditions of the people and the communities they work with. These are not only an archive of the intellectual property of communities that are on the brink of merging with mainstream society, but are meant to be a celebration of their rich artistic heritage that, through the creation of a digital typeface, has been converted to a contemporary medium.
To begin with, Khosla worked with people from the Gond tribe, the Chittara and Dhebaria Rabari communities, and Mithilia artists. “I chose to create a typeface from tattoo art as it was a logical extension of my skills as a graphic designer. Typography is the language of graphic design and essential to a graphic designer. I also wanted to create something that is useful and not ‘art’ or just ‘decorative’. I believe anyone could use the typeface to create all sorts of things. For instance, the Godna typeface could become the state typeface of Chhattisgarh and be used by the state government to promote tourism, or be used by individuals to create posters. I wanted to create a language which celebrates the beauty and the richness of Indian tribal art and can be used in myriad ways,” Khosla says.
Here’s a detailed look how Khosla collaborated with the artists from the Gond tribe to give a digitised lease of life to the traditional art of tribal tattoos.
Rich designs of dazzling diversity, carried by a vibrant, living culture, make Indian arts and crafts special – and when that culture starts dying, it spells the death of centuries of rich traditions and knowledge. Over time, with rapid modernisation, many traditional art forms have witnessed a diminishing demand. Artists who have carried forward generations of craft knowledge are today unable to find ways to sustain their skills and expertise. Many practices are now on the brink of extinction. It is therefore imperative that we become mindful about issues that deal with heritage, culture and history, and encourage mediums that preserve age-old practices.
The Typecraft Initiative addresses this concern. Founded by Delhi-based graphic designer Ishan Khosla, this self-initiated, self-funded project aims is to help artisans sustain their livelihood through the creation and sale of typefaces. This project is meant as a way for craftspeople and tribal artists to think in new ways. The typefaces are also meant to inspire, create awareness and generate further interest in the art, history, context, life and even the living traditions of the people and the communities they work with. These are not only an archive of the intellectual property of communities that are on the brink of merging with mainstream society, but are meant to be a celebration of their rich artistic heritage that, through the creation of a digital typeface, has been converted to a contemporary medium.
To begin with, Khosla worked with people from the Gond tribe, the Chittara and Dhebaria Rabari communities, and Mithilia artists. “I chose to create a typeface from tattoo art as it was a logical extension of my skills as a graphic designer. Typography is the language of graphic design and essential to a graphic designer. I also wanted to create something that is useful and not ‘art’ or just ‘decorative’. I believe anyone could use the typeface to create all sorts of things. For instance, the Godna typeface could become the state typeface of Chhattisgarh and be used by the state government to promote tourism, or be used by individuals to create posters. I wanted to create a language which celebrates the beauty and the richness of Indian tribal art and can be used in myriad ways,” Khosla says.
Here’s a detailed look how Khosla collaborated with the artists from the Gond tribe to give a digitised lease of life to the traditional art of tribal tattoos.
Godna art
The women of the Gond tribe of Chattisgarh in central India initiated this form of art centuries ago, in the form of etched tattoos. Each tattoo motif has a specific significance that is tied in with the concept of the ‘vital cycle’ of life. This refers to the various stages in a woman’s life, like puberty, becoming a mother or getting married. Each of these stages are celebrated by marking the woman with a specific godna tattoo, etched on by other women.
For years, this was a way for tribal artists to sustain themselves – they made a livelihood by etching tattoos. However, over time, the demand for this has gone down drastically. To sustain themselves, the tattoo artists diversified and started using these tattoo motifs on saris, stoles, furniture and walls.
The women of the Gond tribe of Chattisgarh in central India initiated this form of art centuries ago, in the form of etched tattoos. Each tattoo motif has a specific significance that is tied in with the concept of the ‘vital cycle’ of life. This refers to the various stages in a woman’s life, like puberty, becoming a mother or getting married. Each of these stages are celebrated by marking the woman with a specific godna tattoo, etched on by other women.
For years, this was a way for tribal artists to sustain themselves – they made a livelihood by etching tattoos. However, over time, the demand for this has gone down drastically. To sustain themselves, the tattoo artists diversified and started using these tattoo motifs on saris, stoles, furniture and walls.
The motive
The long-term vision for the Typecraft Initiative is to collaborate with tribal groups, help them receive recognition for their skills and help improve their standard of living.
“The needs of each craft or tribal group can be different, and we want to support them. For instance, while one group may want their homes to be rebuilt for the monsoon, another may want to sell online or require funds to purchase tools and raw materials,” Khosla says.
The long-term vision for the Typecraft Initiative is to collaborate with tribal groups, help them receive recognition for their skills and help improve their standard of living.
“The needs of each craft or tribal group can be different, and we want to support them. For instance, while one group may want their homes to be rebuilt for the monsoon, another may want to sell online or require funds to purchase tools and raw materials,” Khosla says.
The process
For the Godna typeface, Khosla invited various tribal artists on board. While some were experienced in working with professionals, some weren’t. Groups were allocated as per this knowledge.
“We conducted a workshop where we kept the pace slow and spent the first week just having the artists draw their own motifs. We recorded the meaning of these motifs as well as some of their songs to get them comfortable. We then slowly initiated lessons on typography proportion, style and harmony. Again, we let the artists create the letters in their own way, initially, to give them creative freedom and for them to enjoy the process. Over time, we helped hone their drawings through comments and suggestions,” Khosla says.
The entire process – from the initial interaction with the artists, the scanning and cleaning of their drawings, vectorisation to finally creating the typeface – took 18 months. Spanish type designer, Andreu Balius, partner at The Typecraft Initiative and founder of Type Republic, Barcelona, was also invited on board to help transform the letters into a workable typeface.
Currently, the typefaces that are commercially available for purchase are Godna as well as Chittara. The tattoo artists (also known as godharins) involved in the rendering of the Godna tattoo letters are Ram Keli, Sunita and Sumitra Jamgala, Chattisgarh, India. Radha Sullur of the Deewana community of Karnataka was brought on board for the Chittara typeface.
For the Godna typeface, Khosla invited various tribal artists on board. While some were experienced in working with professionals, some weren’t. Groups were allocated as per this knowledge.
“We conducted a workshop where we kept the pace slow and spent the first week just having the artists draw their own motifs. We recorded the meaning of these motifs as well as some of their songs to get them comfortable. We then slowly initiated lessons on typography proportion, style and harmony. Again, we let the artists create the letters in their own way, initially, to give them creative freedom and for them to enjoy the process. Over time, we helped hone their drawings through comments and suggestions,” Khosla says.
The entire process – from the initial interaction with the artists, the scanning and cleaning of their drawings, vectorisation to finally creating the typeface – took 18 months. Spanish type designer, Andreu Balius, partner at The Typecraft Initiative and founder of Type Republic, Barcelona, was also invited on board to help transform the letters into a workable typeface.
Currently, the typefaces that are commercially available for purchase are Godna as well as Chittara. The tattoo artists (also known as godharins) involved in the rendering of the Godna tattoo letters are Ram Keli, Sunita and Sumitra Jamgala, Chattisgarh, India. Radha Sullur of the Deewana community of Karnataka was brought on board for the Chittara typeface.
The future
The Typecraft Initiative aims to create 29 typefaces that will be inspired by 29 craft traditions that are in a state of languishment, one from each state of India. Khosla hopes that this will help sustain and preserve these crafts in a small way and create awareness about our dwindling indigenous talents.
“I am also interested in exploring a 3D Devanagari script. The typographic sculptures when created in 3D can be rendered using 3D software and then either used as individual vector letters or as a 3D typeface. I am also keen to work in Ikat and other forms of weaving from the East and the Northeast of the country, and to create typographical forms out of that,“ Khosla says.
The Typecraft Initiative aims to create 29 typefaces that will be inspired by 29 craft traditions that are in a state of languishment, one from each state of India. Khosla hopes that this will help sustain and preserve these crafts in a small way and create awareness about our dwindling indigenous talents.
“I am also interested in exploring a 3D Devanagari script. The typographic sculptures when created in 3D can be rendered using 3D software and then either used as individual vector letters or as a 3D typeface. I am also keen to work in Ikat and other forms of weaving from the East and the Northeast of the country, and to create typographical forms out of that,“ Khosla says.
See the story behind the tattoos
Read more:
Which Traditional Furniture Pieces Go Well in Modern Homes?
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this project? Tell us in the Comments section below.
Read more:
Which Traditional Furniture Pieces Go Well in Modern Homes?
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this project? Tell us in the Comments section below.
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