Mini Workshop: Introduction to Gujarati, from pen to pixel
Exclusive workshop for attendees with a General Pass or Limited Pass.
Immerse yourself in the beautiful world of Gujarati type in this hands-on, 4-hour workshop. Whether you're a lettering artist, typeface designer, or simply curious about one of India's most elegant writing systems, this workshop offers a unique blend of history and contemporary practice.
What You'll Experience:
- Uncover the history and evolution of the Gujarati typographic script, from the earliest attempts in movable type to modern digital fonts.
- Learn the fundamental shapes and structures that form the building blocks of Gujarati characters.
- Get your hands dirty as you practice writing Gujarati letters using traditional tools. Feel the flow of the script and understand its organic forms.
- Transition from paper to pixel and watch your hand-drawn letters come to life on screen!
- Apply your newfound knowledge to create a unique Gujarati character. Refine it digitally and see how it fits into a larger typeface family.
No prior experience in Gujarati or Indic type design is necessary – just bring your curiosity and creativity! By the end of this workshop, you'll have a deeper appreciation for the Gujarati script and the foundations to explore the fascinating world of typeface design for the Brahmi-based writing systems of India.
Materials:
- Writing and lettering materials of choice (including pencils and pens of all sizes)
- A4 copier paper
- Computer with typeface design software (preferred) or any vector drawing software
Kalapi Gajjar
With an art curator mother and a graphic designer father, Kalapi Gajjar was immersed in visual culture from an early age.
After studying graphic design at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, in his home town of Vadodara in Gujarat, Gajjar spent a year as an art director at Wieden + Kennedy's Delhi office.
Frustrated with the lack of contemporary typefaces available for Indic scripts, he left India to complete a masters in type design at Reading University – where he met Universal Thirst co-founder Gunnar Vilhjálmsson.
After leaving Reading, Gajjar relocated to London to work on projects for international foundry Monotype, before joining London type specialist Dalton Maag, where he oversaw the production and engineering of typefaces for brands including Nokia, Intel and HP. In 2016 he launched Universal Thirst with Gunnar Vilhjálmsson.