Journeys in Calligraphy: Inspiring Scripts from Around the World

Scripts from around the world can serve as striking and original sources of design inspiration

Not only do scripts and alphabets form bridges between cultures, but their history and the stories they tell are the perfect springboard for calligraphic experimentation.

From India to Ethiopia, Tibet and beyond, Denise Lach has travelled widely in the world of script. Here, she documents complex and simple characters, playful shapes and vibrant colours, which she then translates into her own visual art. She demonstrates the exciting design possibilities offered by script: you can repeat, turn, mirror and rotate letters; you can also experiment with rhythms, contrasts, colours and line widths.

In addition to calligraphic techniques, Lach introduces examples from printmaking, fabric printing, collage making and digital techniques.

Brimming with beautifully photographed works of art – on paper, stone, fabric or ceramic material – Journeys in Calligraphy will take you to many surprising destinations.

    CONTENTS
    Early Writing
    Ethiopia
    Swahili
    Kannada
    Tibet
    Burma
    Runes
    Malay
    Other Journeys

Denise Lach teaches screenprinting and conceptual writing at the Basel School of Design, Switzerland. She is the author of Calligraphy: A Book of Contemporary Inspiration, also published by Thames & Hudson.