This work is the result of a collaboration with the Ukrainian brand @yanabelyaeva.official
This new graphic print is on a rather interesting subject. The topic of fertility and value of our Ukrainian land and landscape as a whole. Its diversity and strength. Graphics are a stylization of the landscape as we see it from a bird’s eye view.
News
Constantly monitoring the news has become an integral part of life for every Ukrainian. Unfortunately, the majority of news during the war is filled with pain, suffering, obituaries of loved ones and friends. All of this leaves a tragic imprint on each of us, one that we will never be able to rid ourselves of.
Sky
This artwork serves as an emblematic representation of people’s yearning for a future when the skies will regain their serenity, and they can experience safety without the looming specter of missile strikes or aerial assaults. It illustrates how aspirations and yearnings persist even in the most challenging of eras, serving as a poignant reminder that hope remains an integral facet of our existence, regardless of the circumstances.
«Nightingales», 100х140 cm Stretched canvas, acrylic
The fusion of emotional intensity and logic gave rise to evocative images interwoven within an interconnected realm. These creations draw inspiration from the organic flow of nature, embracing freedom, ambiguity, transparency, dynamism, the relentless march of time, and a profound sense of metaphysical tranquility. Collaboration with @zhucccci
«Falcon», 100х80 cm Stretched canvas, acrylic
It concerns an individual’s connection with the world, the disintegration of time, and one’s personal spirituality. It emphasizes the importance of perceiving life not as a linear progression but as an ongoing flow of thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It underscores the pursuit of ideals such as justice, morality, and truth. Collaboration with @zhucccci
“Svit” 40х40 cm Stretched canvas, acrylic
The word “Svit” in Ukrainian has several meanings: the name of the planet Earth from a human perspective; the term is often used to refer to the sum of human experience and history, the human condition in general. Especially in a metaphysical sense, the concept of “світ” can imply everything that constitutes reality, existence, and the universe.
“World” serves as a symbol embodying integrity, unity, and personal growth. Collaboration with @zhucccci
Mova
For many centuries the russian empire destroyed Ukrainian culture, language and people. Ukrainians were put behind bars, tortured, killed. They banned book printing, publishing, education and the Ukrainian language. However in 2023 these crimes will disappear. We are choosing our right to speak Ukrainian and to be Ukrainians.
TypeCon 2023
After four long years, TypeCon 2023 made a measured return to an in-person event in Portland, Oregon, this August. Sure, the axes of scope and attendance had been reduced a bit, but after three years of either non-existent or online gatherings, it was such a joy to reconvene with my fellow type nerds to share, learn, and most importantly, connect. First-time attendee Jamie Johnstone put it this way: “I’ve been part of a lot of design communities before, but here I’m surrounded by students, educators, and legends—and there’s just no ego. Every conversation I have, I feel like I’m learning something new.”
TypeCon began, as usual, with the Type & Design Education Forum on Thursday. As a design educator, I have always enjoyed participating in this more intimate setting, full of boundary-pushing pedagogical approaches, before the larger crowd turns up for the main program. And this year’s Ed Forum did not disappoint—with enthralling talks from JP Dowling, who challenged us to “decolonize” and “defuture” type education, and Craig Eliason, who showed the crowd how he ventured beyond just teaching Latin types in his intro-level courses. Jan Ballard and Erica Holeman spoke about various mental health issues that our students are facing in the post-pandemic classroom, and Leo Vicenti’s talk on teaching indigenous type design through student-driven community engagement was one of several presentations throughout the day that had a strong multicultural focus.
Friday’s program began with a keynote presentation from the very tall, and very funny, James Edmondson (Ohno Type Co.). He spoke about the survival tactics explored by smaller foundries and why he loves making typefaces more than anything else! Full of passion, James’ talk struck the right tone for those in the audience who were excited to be back, and for those who may have been experiencing their first TypeCon. First-timer David Cabassa said, “I think a lot of us resist wrestling with social media content, but I think James’ talk brought a fresh perspective on how to have fun with it, which was cool.”
The thematic grouping of talks is something I’ve always appreciated about TypeCon. It reveals additional facets as you listen to a whole block of speakers—stringing together the different metanarratives within the type world. Friday’s program centered on the theme of technology. Highlights included Dave Crossland’s unpacking on Google Fonts’ process for registering variable font axes, and Andrea Leksen’s case study for creating digital fonts based on the handwriting found in the Monotype Index of Typefaces.
The tech-speak was interrupted a few times with lively presentations such as Grace Spee’s enthusiastic survey of video game typography from the 1970s to today, and Lucas Czarnecki laid out his own Doomsday Clock for the type design industry by waxing prophetic on generative AI’s ability to create accurate, usable letterforms. (It’s only a matter of time…) Friday’s talks were capped off with the SOTA Catalyst Award presentation, which was given to 23-year-old ESAD graduate, Anagha Narayanan. She shared “Ilai”—a display typeface for the Tamil script based on 1960s psychedelia, and “Garnish”—a Latin and Tamil family made for editorial design that imposed traits from the Tamil onto the Latin (rather than the opposite).
The final day of TypeCon 2023 began with one tradition that could never be left out—the annual type crit! Glenda Bellarosa, Roger Black, and John Downer were on deck to offer their expertise to young type designers, several of whom were still trying to finish their very first typeface. One noticeable difference from past type crits was that, while it used to be tough to elbow your way into the crowd surrounding the critique, there seemed to be a lingering air of social distancing present in the basement of Revolution Hall, as onlookers gawked from rather awkward distances.
After a special presentation from Neville Brody (who offered this gem: “If you remove the idea of words, type becomes visual music.”), Saturday’s agenda set out on a multicultural journey that showed just how diverse the world of type actually is. In the first block of talks alone, we learned about designing type for the Cherokee Nation syllabary (Chris Skillern), the hurdles of designing Arabic type for Sub-Saharan Africa (Mark Jamra & Neil Patel), and the intriguing development of the Korean typewriter (Alice J. Lee).
Kourosh Beigpour stole the emotional center of the afternoon with his impassioned coverage of Farsi type throughout Los Angeles, and Raven Mo showed us (through biting critique) how the “Chop Suey” font became the face of Chinese food in America. Finally, Joshua Unikel and Kyle Letendre reminded us that type is not just black and white, but infinite shades of gray. The former gave a fascinating talk on the queer nature of the type in John Cage’s “Plexigrams”, and the latter joyfully capped off the afternoon performing as Tomboy—sharing a myriad of ways that drag has influenced their type and lettering career. If Friday showed us that type is indeed technologically complex, Saturday showed us that type is also undeniably human.
As the main program ended, Raquel Rodriguez, another first-time attendee, observed, “The range of talks was pretty impressive. [This conference] was very nourishing for a designer.” The SOTA Board wrapped things up by first presenting the annual Typography Award, which acknowledges outstanding members of the type community and their creative achievements, to longtime show runner, JP Porter. Following this, we heard a few highly-anticipated announcements about what we can expect for next year.
First, TypeCon 2024 will (once again) return to East Portland! While the conference will still rotate through both East and West Coast locations, the Board is taking their time to make sure the next city provides the perfect setting for what TypeCon has become. Second, the SOTA Gallery will make its return next year, fueled by the launch of the inaugural Typography and Lettering Competition. “We needed to curate our own show and not rely on outside groups,” said Neil Summerour. “[It] makes sense—our principal drive is to elevate, promote, and champion those in within our creative community, so this is the next logical step.”
As the sun set on East Portland, while hanging out at the patio bar of Revolution Hall, I asked Lucas Czarnecki (Type Network) for his take on the conference. He said, “It’s hard to regain momentum after taking time away from anything, but I think they’ve done an excellent re-introduction here. I think next year will be even bigger and better—closer to its true form.” Yet the question remains, does TypeCon even have a true form? The last few years have proven that adaptation is key to survival; TypeCon has done that. And I believe it will continue to succeed in its aim to disseminate typographic knowledge to all who will listen. (That is, until the robot overlords completely decimate the profession.)
Photo Credit: Patrick Gosnell
27.02.22
in between air attacks and explosions
Vira
Vira is the single by Ukrainian sound producer and composer Pymin. The song is part of an upcoming album dedicated to the artist’s reflection during wartime. Pymin’s music blends elements of electronic, trip-hop, and folk.
For “Vira,” a unique lettering was created. The task was to design something that would combine the roughness of struggle with a magical softness.
Living abroad
The work captures the feeling of living abroad alone, leaving behind family and friends, your work and city. Constant memories of a previous peaceful life, contemplating decisions, worrying about your loved ones, grieving about your people, your country and the only savior that keeps you going – a cat, the last piece of home.
Save Ukraine
The digital art “Save Ukraine” was made in Adobe Photoshop using colored digital paper
Ukraine
Digital art collage “Ukraine” made in Adobe Photoshop from multi-colored digital fabric
Interactive Title Sequence Design (fan based)
Title sequence can manipulate the viewers’ perception and create interaction with show. Two intros were designed highlighting different genre aspects of the show “The OA” (fantasy/drama). Based on their previous genre preferences, the viewers will get one of them. However, since the show is based on multidimensional traveling, the viewers also can get a chance to explore alternative intros, by simultaneously switching between them with the button “Travel”.
Punch
The picture tells about the struggle with our past, which is expressed in relations with the aggressor state and describes the first encounters with enemy attacks in a state of complete unpreparedness.
Impressions of war
Series of monoprints that seamlessly intertwines the contrasting elements of nature’s beauty, human habitation, and the haunting specter of war.
It’s about the delicate balance between beauty and destruction, highlighting the urgent need for harmony, understanding, and the preservation of our natural world in the face of adversity. This series is a visual testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of nature to inspire hope and healing even in the darkest of times.
No War Zine
The project is a series of pictures, based on poems and quotes by Ukrainian authors. We made it to declare our anti-war attitude, showcase the beauty of Ukrainian culture and language and support Ukraine in the ongoing war. Originally published on Instagram, the series later has been reworked in a printed zine.
You can (not) understand
Legacy of trauma
This work is about emotional ties in a group of people. Carl Jung called it “collective unconscious”, I believe that we share a universal mind that speaks to us.
This is my explanation of how the tragedy of war communicates to us unconsciously.
Slanted in Amsterdam: FreelingWaters
Setting forth on a thrilling expedition into Amsterdam’s world of design, we plunged into the very core of the Netherland’s capital, uncovering its creative gems in our 41st edition of the Slanted Magazine. Our pursuit of inspiration guided us to intersect with the artistic pair behind FreelingWaters: Gijs Frieling and Job Wouters. Venturing into their atelier, we engaged in a conversation about their craft and methodology.
FreelingWaters is an artist duo of Gijs Frieling and Job Wouters. Using pigments and casein glue, they repaint and renovate antique cabinets—a technique that has been used for thousands of years and guarantees unparalleled color intensity and durability. Because the paint dries quickly, there’s no room for error. “Painting means surrendering to the movements of your hands,” the artists say.
More about FreelingWaters can be found in the Slanted Magazine #41—Amsterdam. Additionally we shot a video interview with Gijs and Job, talking about their point of view on art and opinions about the future. Take a look at the Amsterdam issue and the video platform for diverse opinions, impressions, inspiration, and motivation.
Images: © FreelingWaters / Slanted Publishers
COUNTEROFFENSIVE
This work is dedicated to the Ukrainian counteroffensive of 2022-23. The trident, symbolizing the Armed Forces of Ukraine, pushes the occupation evil in the form of the letter Z out of the painting, piercing the enemy with its sharp points. The Russians, who no longer have the strength to attack, are trying to defend themselves unsuccessfully.
Negation: everything feels like a movie
This project is about connecting to the artist’s origin, her childhood and the natural beauty of independent Ukraine.
Monika, the girl in the picture, is a childhood friend of Olga’s whom she hasn’t seen in 13 years before crossing path in Toronto. Monika is dressed in traditional Ukrainian clothes and the projected video of Zakarpattia was filmed by her a few years earlier. It showcases the vast beauty of the landscape and adds to the feeling of home-ness.
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
Book cover and illustrations for Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, a novel by M. Kotsiubynsky, published by Discursus. The novel is a Ukrainian cult classic story which shows the traditional way of life in the Carpathians and incorporates elements of Ukrainian folklore. To give my design more authentic feeling, I did some research on traditional clothing, ornaments, folk art typical for the region. The color palette and details come from the traditional Ukrainian embroidery, rich in contrast.
CHORNOYIBAIVKA
Chornobaivka, a village in the Kherson region, became a famous Ukrainian internet meme because of the constant strikes by the Ukrainian army against the Russians. After the strikes, the occupiers foolishly returned there again and again, with a total of 28 strikes. On the road sign is the name of the village with the Ukrainian letter “Ї” added. It turns the name into “Chornoyibaivka” by adding the root “yiba” (“yibaty” in Ukrainian — “to fuck”). In English: “Chorno-fuck-baivka”.