Ruslan Abasov says designing typefaces is like "dancing" with his arm

"Ruslan Abasov's first foray into typefaces was during his enrollment in design schools in Istanbul - and it was a revelation. Intersecting with his interests in geometric forms, photography and design theory, he was particularly struck by an IsType conference, which inspired him to study type design at ECAL. Now based in Lausanne, Switzerland, Ruslan creates typefaces that are playful and rooted in his keen interests in design education."

"In Mouris Display, named after the French word for mouse, Ruslan built an original typeface from a constrained brief: develop an unique tool that would purpose a unique writing style. Thinking outside of the realm of known calligraphy and writing instruments, Ruslan took a collaborator's suggestion to create letter shapes with a 90s-style computer mouse with a silicon ball on the bottom. Ruslan soaked the trackball in fast-drying ink and freestyled, exploring its free, bouncy movements, something he describes as "dancing" with his arm."

"One of Ruslan's typefaces is Daido Display, an expressive and poetic reflection of typographic discourse on the photographer Daido Moriyama. Fascinated by his interplay of light and shadow, Ruslan concentrated on the core of his language. "Throughout the entire design process I was contemplating the universe of the typeface - by which I mean its music, its feeling, its color code, and photographic sensibility. Thankfully, all of this was already there at the highest level," says Ruslan."

Ruslan Abasov began exploring type during design studies in Istanbul and was inspired by an IsType conference to study type design at ECAL. Based in Lausanne, he treats letters as textural shapes influenced by a multi-script background in both Cyrillic and Latin. His practice combines geometric forms, photography sensibilities, and design theory to produce playful, education-rooted typefaces. Mouris Display was generated by drawing with a 1990s trackball mouse soaked in fast-drying ink to capture bouncy, freestyle gestures. Daido Display channels photographic contrasts to define its sensory universe. Escargot Display experiments with machine-driven Bezier drawing and Art Nouveau influences.

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