“Thanks to my father, as a child, it was always books over video games. I had the entire Tintin collection at home. That was how I was first exposed to typography”, says Shiva Nallaperumal.
The 24-year-old typographic designer from Chennai has already won a plethora of awards. “Typography is the basis of everything that we do. We see it in books, letters, pens, watches... everything. I give character to them. The thought that I can influence such a very basic thing is incredible”.
- Won the Catalyst award from the Society of Typographic Afficionados in 2015
- Recieved the Certificate of Excellence from the International Society of Typographic Designers, London, in 2014
- Work has been recognised by Print Magazine, The Graphic Design Festival Breda, Graphic Design USA Magazine and Pool Magazine
- Joined the Indian Type Foundry in Ahmedabad and published 5 type families through the retail library
It is not as if he wanted to be a type designer as a kid. “I didn’t even know what design was. Back then, all I wanted was to draw. I did not do well in school. My heart was in animation. During my under-graduation at DJ Academy of Design, Coimbatore, I learnt the basics of typography could be both semantic and subliminal. It triggered an interest in me. Later I joined Maryland Institute College of Arts in the US and had the opportunity to work with my heroes, Abbott Miller and Tal Leming there”.
Nallaperumal says his journey as a typographic and graphic designer taught him “empathy, sensitivity and rigour”. He believes that design is a service. “As designers, we have to think of people all the time. I learnt to see things from other’s point of view. The idea is that people ignore designs that ignore people”.
One of Nallaperumal’s most challenging works was for an exhibition with the Afro-American artist, Paul Rucker. This exhibition in 2015 focused on racial tensions in the US. He says “I think he picked me because I was neither black nor white, but a neutral entity. It was particularly challenging as I had to relate to a culture that was not mine. I had to communicate the magnitude of the idea without being rude. It was not easy.”
Being a designer in India is ‘awesome’, says Nallaperumal. “Every 500 km brings with it a new script. I feel like a chocolate maker in Switzerland here. I need to explore and learn more. Our corporates and the government have started understanding the importance of types and designing. My current dream is to start a new designing studio in India.” Nallaperumal was in Coimbatore recently for a felicitation organised by his alma mater DJ Academy of Design.
