Typography as Cultural Preservation
Exploring Eritrean Identity through Tigrinya Type Design and Learning Devices
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OVERVIEW
A Language Lost within the Diaspora: Tigrinya
As the daughter of an Eritrean immigrant, I've long been interested in what survives when people are separated from their cultural roots. Language, in particular, carries histories, traditions, and ways of understanding the world that aren't always passed down intact.
My thesis explores this distance through Tigrinya, my father's native language. Through type design, I sought to reconnect with a part of my heritage while examining how typography can become a tool for cultural preservation, expression, and belonging.
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PROCESS
From Research to Form
My process began with an exploration of Eritrean history, language, and visual culture. I studied the structure of the Geʽez script, experimented with letterforms, and considered how traditional forms might be interpreted through a contemporary design language.
Sketching, making, and experimentation became ways of learning. Each iteration brought me closer to understanding the relationship between a written language and the cultural identity it carries.
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THE TYPEFACE
Rooted in History -
Designed for Today
Fidelia emerged from an exploration of the forms, rhythms, and visual character of Tigrinya typography. I developed a contemporary typeface that draws from the language's written traditions while exploring new possibilities for its expression.
More than an exercise in letterform design, Fidelia became a way to engage with a language I inherited but did not grow up speaking fluently—turning distance into curiosity, and curiosity into something tangible.
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IN CONTEXT
When Language Takes Shape
I wanted the work to exist beyond a type specimen. Through printed publications, dimensional lettering, and exhibition installations, I explored how typography could become something people could encounter and experience.
When the work was exhibited, visitors often reflected on their own relationships with language, family, and cultural identity. What began as a personal investigation became an opportunity for others to consider their own histories and sense of belonging.
"The Words We Couldn't Say"
3D Woodcut Installation
"Fidelia"
Digital Prints
"Legacies of Eritrea"
Handmade Books
"Tigrinya Tongue"
Learning Card Game
"Blueprints of Royalty and Play"
Vinyl Installation
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THE NEXT GENERATION
Eritrean Selam
The thesis may have marked the end of my graduate studies, but it wasn't the end of the investigation.
Eritrean Selam is the next chapter of that work—an evolving creative exploration of Eritrean identity, language, and cultural expression. Where my thesis focused on typography as a means of preservation, Eritrean Selam expands that curiosity into new forms of design and storytelling.
It's a continuation of the same question that began this journey: how can creativity bring us closer to the cultures, histories, and communities that shape who we are?
"Eritrean Selam"
Brand Identity – Digital, Retail, and Print