Typographics 2019: En Route: Lebanese Vernacular Typography with Chantal Jahchan
Channel: Typographics
Date: 2019-10-14

This talk took place in The Great Hall at The Cooper Union on June 15, 2019. The livestreaming and video recording were​ made possible by a generous sponsorship from Google. 

Through photographic case studies of vernacular typography in Mount Lebanon, Chantal will explore the rich history of the country’s relationship to language, identity, and the “revolution” of Arabic type design. What does modernity mean for Lebanon? How can we as designers and typographers challenge ourselves to rethink what we consider “modern”?

Chantal Jahchan is a graphic designer and writer based in NYC. Ever since she moved from Lebanon to the US at a young age, she has been interested in the ways that language can be both a barrier and a tool for communication. As a result, her work tends to be type and literature-driven with a focus on social and cultural discourse. Chantal is a recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and is currently an intern on Michael Bierut’s team at Pentagram. She has previously interned at Moment (2017) and worked at Interbrand NY (2018).
Her team at Moment was awarded the IxDA 2018 People’s Choice Award for their design of an artificially intelligent companion that redefines how parents pass down their native culture and language to their children. She is a collaborator of 1on1, a collective devoted to elevating the narrative and experience of Arab and Muslim Americans. Chantal’s typeface identification and education app, TypeDig, was a 2017 Finalist in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA). Her work has been recognized by Fast Company and It’s Nice That.