The Qandus multiscript font family is a modern typographic interpretation of the unique Maghribi calligraphic style as handwritten by the renowned Moroccan Sufi calligrapher of the nineteenth century, al-Qandusi (d. 1861 CE). The typeface and its name, Qandus, are an homage to this calligrapher’s unique body of work and its graphic expressiveness. The strong graphic language of the typeface design emphasizes and explores the variety and visual potential of the Maghribi Kufi styles, from its simplest to its most expressive manifestations.
A Typographic Maghribi Trialogue
This multiscript typeface system aims at exploring a conceptual relationship between 3 different writing systems: Arabic, Latin and Tifinagh rather than a purely visual one. It started off as an homage to the work of the brilliant calligrapher Al-Qasim al-Qandusi (d. 1861)—known as the creator of an exquisite, albeit unusual calligraphic script seen throughout the Maghrib—and expanded into being a study of the unique combinations of Arabic constructions in the Maghribi calligraphic style, and how to dissiminate this feature of duality of forms into the other two scripts.
The Qandus multiscript typeface family was developed within the framework of the Khatt Foundation's type design research project: Typographic Matchmaking in the Maghrib (2015—2017), which curator is Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès. The designers are: Laura Meseguer (Latin typeface), Kristyan Sarkis (Arabic typeface), and Juan Luis Blanco (Tifinagh typeface).
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The Qandus Multiscript Typeface Family won the TDC 2 2017 Award For Excellence in Typeface Design, and it was the judge's choice of Alice Savoie:
"This collaborative work is an ambitious and lively attempt at developing a typeface family covering three writing systems: Arabic (following the Maghribi calligraphic style), Tifinagh, and Latin. Although these three scripts feature very different structures and rhythm, the designers managed to inject a homogeneous feel to the family, while preserving each script’s specificities and their respective identities. […] The progression from one weight to another is also remarkable: the text version leans toward a warm yet more restrained and functional design, while the darker weight is flamboyant and immediately recognizable. Achieving all this requires great mastery, and the result is a generous and highly recognizable design that is a pleasure for the eye."
"This collaborative work is an ambitious and lively attempt at developing a typeface family covering three writing systems: Arabic (following the Maghribi calligraphic style), Tifinagh, and Latin. Although these three scripts feature very different structures and rhythm, the designers managed to inject a homogeneous feel to the family, while preserving each script’s specificities and their respective identities. […] The progression from one weight to another is also remarkable: the text version leans toward a warm yet more restrained and functional design, while the darker weight is flamboyant and immediately recognizable. Achieving all this requires great mastery, and the result is a generous and highly recognizable design that is a pleasure for the eye."
The retail version of Qandus is still in progress!
Video by Jan de Bruin
