Burkina Gothic, 2009
TYPE DESIGN BASED ON ARTIFACTS FROM BURKINA FASO
TYPE DESIGN BASED ON ARTIFACTS FROM BURKINA FASO
a #rejectedbutloved proposal
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c2338159d4ef7f0f93c3c9d26d0ef689d1d161d37868389e159d9ba8f85fd794/BurkinaGothic-01.png)
The alphabet is inspired by mid-20th century iron currencies and other sculptures from the Lobi tribe of Burkina Faso. The band wanted to appear more modern, understandably, and they felt this design was a bit too rough. I have some reservations showing this myself, mostly because the history of western graphic design and art stealing from the art of the African continent, and making a lot of money off of what are essentially bootlegs of their cultural traditions are long and very contentious. I explored this notion in the YARDY WORLD branding. To emulate the organic quality in the forms, I drew it very quickly, much more quickly than these sculptures were made. I don’t want to give the impression that I think the Lobi’s visual culture is crude or unsophisticed. Quite the oppostie. I kept it here because it was an honest expression of my own curiousity, rooted in a desire to veneration of the Lobi Tribe’s visual culture.
![Iron currency used by the lobi tribe of burkina faso which informed the type design](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e56dd21a806f5719ffc7ca576672a9ee01f634f94166d89f68f61bcc03f1469c/LobiSnakes.png)
![wooden sculpture from the lobi tribe of burkina faso which informed the type design](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b47849b523edf4319cddd4fecafd12f025cd873ddc92af8e22a872b8029f783f/LOBI-SCULPTRE.png)
Many years later I revisited this alphabet when artist Jake Brush approached me to make the title for his show The Multiple Murders of Lady Gilgo. For this I created a lighter version by using the stroke of the original alphabet.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c8f934a99aedd04110341bfcb13c773a0749543da33d73cf7f51ce6ff44e8768/GilgoGothic.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/71f9024d266d2bff8f9d97ae2317ef252b7210ea57558af4fe85b362c6c57cac/GIGLIO-FINAL-FINAL.png)