EASTERN FONTS

The TypeJanuary 2020Selected by Alexis Zavialoff & Maia Asshaq

This collection of three volumes begins to approach the vast history of Chinese typography. The Type has presented the books as an “open research project”, which – for reader and publisher alike – makes the subject a bit easier to tackle. With no pressure to present this as a comprehensive catalogue, it can instead make a series that can be built upon and added to over time. The collection’s design allows the reader to approach an otherwise overwhelming subject with a certain freedom to explore, chronologically or not. The first volume begins in 1940 and focuses on state-sanctioned type found in Shanghai. The second tries to collect more traditional or historic typography that began to fade with the emergence of digital design, while the third book is a reflection on, and presents a panel discussion about, the globalisation of design. — Alexis Zavialoff and Maia Asshaq