What are your beliefs?

I got an opportunity for exhibiting the latest updates on Alica type family- added Cyrillic and Arabic script. This exhibition was located as the part of street Mengentaler gallery in Kranj. I combined the idea of harmonized type family within the series of posters, which are questioning our beliefs.

Alica is a typeface family that was originally designed for the letterpress – printing style, where big blocks of wooden letters are used for transformation of ink onto paper. Stylistically Alica displays a typeface which is preferably used in large sizes, titles, posters and signage. The strokes are very thick and heavy with the soft out-strokes. What makes the character of the letters unique are very deep cuts also known as ink-traps. 

Typeface family combines three scripts: Latin, Cyrillic and Arabic. The very important aspect of designing such different scripts is to harmonize the shapes of each script into unified family. The idea was to analyze the origin of all scripts and use it as a tool to combine style of the letter shapes. However, there are some details and parts of letters that were not possible to apply on each character. For example, Arabic alphabet is written from right to left, the letters are connected and this is one of the most important characteristics that influenced the development of typefaces. Nevertheless, I approach the design with respect to the heritage of the scripts and the intention of them being well harmonized.

One one could say that letter shapes are just shapes of letters, but while designing the character set I realized how the combinations of those scripts leave the aftertaste in our minds. Just by mentioning Arabic scripts particular beliefs connected to the specific countries and systems are brought into our heads. This revelation led me to a question, also topic of my exhibitions: What are your beliefs?

As a person who grew up in technologically more developed part of the world, I feel presumptuous towards less fortunate people. My way of life follows the society I grew up in. I follow rules and aspects of living that were given to me at birth. But do I even dare to question these values I am living in? Do I even question my beliefs and the way of life that is proposed to me every step I make?

The question, what are your beliefs, doesn’t ask about someone’sreligious or political orientation. I am questioning the very basic thing – our beliefs, that are a part of our every day and we never question them. Content of the first canvas from the exhibition reflects my very quick assumptions. The second part of the exhibition questions the reality of the information or rules of living we receive daily. 

Repetition of the same posters reflects our way of believing. As we receive the information for the first time, there is a chance of doubt, but soon the information comes back to us again and again and we start to believe it. It stays in our mind and becomes a belief. This kind of believing is similar to every one of us, regardless of the part of the world we live in – we are all the same in this. 

Letters have meaning, but do we believe each and every one of them?