Abstract
Design Dashtahjaat is a project of Folkloristan. The Archive curates pre-independence Urdu typography and design, the evolution of Pakistan’s design heritage since 1947, design and typography from languages spoken in Pakistan today, along with Arabic and Persian design, with a special focus on their shared heritage with Urdu. Lately, there has been a return to Urdu in the local Graphic Design Landscape, after several decades of English and Roman Urdu being the dominant languages. I explore the history of Urdu typography with materials from the Archive, and discuss the resurgence of Urdu type, in light of socio-political and economic factors, how they affect Pakistani Design, and vice versa. Furthermore, with archiving at the heart of the conversation, I expect to exchange ideas actively with the audience, on questions such as how we can use it to drive conversations on language, heritage, and representation, and identify room for further research for design falling on the cusp of South Asia and the Persianate World.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Graphic Design, Typography, Urdu, Pakistan, Arabic Script, Design History
