Typography is an Attitude: Urban Nomads, Hybrid Identities and Chinese Characters

• In Event: Cities of Word and Image: Multi-media in East Asian Modernities

Abstract

Taking into consideration selected Shanghai typography designs of the Republican period as well as contemporary multi-script and hybrid typography designs, this paper examines issues of translation, trans-culturalism, migration and identity. Particular attention will be paid to hybrid scripts that incorporate Chinese characters, as well as the transcription of names (which in the contemporary world with its increasing mobility is crucial not only by famous artists or translated authors, but also for countless “ordinary” expatriates in their everyday life).

At first multi-script and hybrid typography was mostly applied in marketing, particularly in urban environments. Lately more and more attention has been paid by typographers to ethical issues in addition to commercial considerations. Written representation of language(s) remains a visual representation of culture(s) and people behind it. Thus quality of multi-script or hybrid typography affects understanding of complex relations between cultures and communities brought together through typography design.

By looking at transcultural typography closely, I hope to reflect on how it could support transcultural identities. How could transcultural typography possibly enhance or obscure certain processes occurring in multinational and multilingual communities and neighborhoods? Could it become a sort of catalyst, making people realize significant cultural change and also harmonize on a personal level different language / script heritages through visually powerful designs? How to handle - both graphically and culturally, socially and personally - several names, written with different scripts?

Author

• Karolina Pawlik, University of Silesia