Find your type
The best typography in the world will take over Te Atamira from Friday. Auckland-based creative agency Osborne Shiwan is bringing the annual Type Directors Club (TDC) Awards to Queenstown, which recognises design excellence and typographic innovation. The exhibition is called TDC68 Aotearoa and it will bring together a variety of pieces from entrants.
The display is a great opportunity to see future design trends and what’s on the horizon for the industry. It will highlight visual communication, so while some of the designs may be in foreign languages, the message their trying to convey will be clear. Another key focus will be the artistic side of designs, rather than their marketing or advertising meaning.
“It’s really special because it’s the first time for such a comprehensive design exhibition here in Queenstown,” says Olivia Egerton, Director of Te Atamira. “We have elements of some of these wonderful things, but what we’re finding is that being able to bring a comprehensive look at some of these topics – the community is really loving the opportunity. Te Atamira has a diverse curatorial programme that’s centred around place, space and understanding the different realms of life that we operate in.”
The TDC is an institution when it comes to type design; curating a calendar of events intended to build a community and support the growth of students and those in the industry. Based in New York and founded in 1946 by leading design practitioners, they’re committed to increasing the level of diversity and representation in all aspects of their programming, membership and advisory board.
“The Type Directors Club itself came out of frustrated designers, who felt that design could carry deeper messages – it’s not just advertising. They came together to actually explore the art of it, and that’s where the magic comes from. Showcasing it in art spaces, it gets read in a different realm – like the Apple advertising, which we see in the consumer realm, we don’t often see the art of what goes on behind those campaigns.”
This year, 202 winners were selected from 63 countries by a diverse jury of leading designers and type designers. Osborne Shiwan are advisory board members of TDC and creative director, Shabnam Shiwan, says, “The TDC exhibition offers an exciting glimpse into future design and cultural trends in typography. Seeing the best progressive typographic work represented by so many languages, including te reo Māori, makes it unique – everyone will find something to enjoy.”
On Saturday, there will be a talk with Osborne Shiwan directors, Loyde Osborne and Shabnam Shiwan, who will discuss how type design drives culture and include examples of their own design work for brands like Karen Walker and Atamira Dance Company.
“The talk on Saturday morning is free, so it’s very accessible. It’s a great opportunity to hear from two of the industry’s leading design practitioners – to have that opportunity is awesome,” says Olivia.
TDC68 Aotearoa: The World’s Best Typography exhibition will be at Te Atamira from Friday 18 August until 13 September. The opening is at 5pm on the Friday and the talk with Osborne Shiwan directors will take place on Saturday at 11am. You can find out more information at teatamira.nz
