A Landmark for Brittonic Languages

“One question has stayed with me throughout my journey: can we establish a link between a letter and its place of birth?”
Jeanne Saliou creator of Bilzig, distributed by Skritur.

Typography can be a strong marker of identity and power. For calligrapher Claude Mediavilla, every form of writing is capable of conveying a cultural, linguistic or political affiliation. Choosing a typeface is to shape the perception of a language and inscribe its existence in the public sphere: letters are symbols capable of forging the collective imagination and supporting specific projects.
This idea is the guiding principle behind the creation of Bilzig, a typeface originating from a project conducted at the National Workshop for Typographic Research (Nancy) and finalized by the Skritur foundry, which focuses on the role of typography in the context of preserving and promoting Brittonic languages.

The aim is to offer users a typeface that meets the linguistic needs of Breton (but also Gallo, Welsh, French, and all European languages) and to promote comfort during extended reading sessions. Furthermore, Bilzig is the first typeface to offer typographic expression with consonant shifts and to take into account the contemporary challenges of inclusive writing for both French and Breton.

After being initiated at the ANRT, the typeface was developed and finalized by the Skritur team. Skritur is a foundry created by three independent designers who collect, decipher, interpret and design in the field of the written word (manuscript, calligraphic, typographic) in Brittany in particular, but more broadly in Celtic countries and anywhere where idiomatic particularities and unique spellings intermingle. Skritur is also a cultural project, that aims to become the portal for these particular scripts through articles, interviews, project reports, etc. related to these subjects: Bilzig enriches this vast program!

Purchase Bilzig here, in four weights (normal, medium, bold and black) for both roman and italics.