Monthalath typeface 2016

These are the glyphs of the Monthalath typeface, designed by Bahia Shehab. Seeing these compact triangular forms, I’m struck by how such basic shapes can be charged with meaning, morphing into a whole system of communication. The beauty of this project, for me, lies in the constraints Shehab set for herself. Just look at the way she has explored the possibilities of the triangle. How the solid shapes create a satisfying rhythm across the surface. The texture is fairly consistent, yet there’s still a handmade feel to the marks, they aren't perfectly regular or uniform. It reminds me a bit of Sol Lewitt’s wall drawings, where simple geometric forms, carefully arranged, become something poetic. The Monthalath typeface is an open-ended experiment. Each shape holds its own, but taken together they create something much bigger, a kind of conversation between form and meaning. This reminds me of the work of experimental typographers like David Carson, who push the boundaries of legibility in search of new ways of seeing and understanding language.