Talha Akçay, a research assistant in the Department of Graphic Design at Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, has had his typography-focused work selected as one of fifty pieces featured at Graphic Stories GS12, an international visual communication platform held in Southern Cyprus.
A Typographic Interpretation of Cultural Memory
Commenting on the work, Akçay stated that his piece does not merely propose a visual arrangement, but is based on a design approach that explores the relationship between cultural memory, rhythm, space and thought through typography.
The formal backbone of the work is formed by the Turka Typeface Series developed by Akçay. Akçay had the following to say about this typeface:
“Whilst drawing inspiration from the rhythmic structure of traditional writing cultures, this typeface set aims not to directly reproduce historical forms, but to reinterpret the underlying conceptual and structural logic within a contemporary typographic language. In the work, the letter is treated not merely as a tool ensuring legibility, but as an element that carries, directs and transforms thought into experience. The understanding of rhythm, which is decisive in the composition’s structure, creates a framework that invites the viewer to think and feel through recurring forms and relationships of space.”
From Local Culture to International Design Platforms
Research Assistant Talha Akçay, commenting on the study, highlighted the importance of reinterpreting cultural references within contemporary design practices, stating:
“For me, design is a way of establishing connections between thought, cultural memory and aesthetics. I believe that works with a cultural focus should explore the underlying intellectual structure rather than merely repeating historical forms.”
Akçay noted that the Turka Typeface Series, which forms the centrepiece of the study, is also a product of this research approach, explaining that the typeface was developed as an experimental research area that establishes a connection between cultural continuity and contemporary design. Emphasising that the work’s inclusion in an international selection is significant in demonstrating how local cultural sources can generate a universal response through a contemporary design language, Akçay stated, “I do not believe there is a one-way relationship between the local and the universal. We see that an idea drawing on cultural memory can find resonance in different regions through the right conceptual framework and a strong visual structure. This demonstrates that design does not merely produce visual communication but can also establish new forms of relationship between cultures,” he said.
The work featured in the international exhibition as part of Graphic Stories is regarded as a significant development in terms of the international visibility of research and design-based productions carried out within the Department of Graphic Design at Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Fine Arts. It demonstrates that typography research can also generate value as a form of creative production that resonates on international design platforms. The works selected among the first fifty by Graphic Stories are presented to design audiences at the international exhibition and in the organisation’s annual publication.
Graphic Stories brings together designers from different countries on a common intellectual ground
Bringing together leading figures in the fields of graphic design, typography and visual communication on an international scale, Graphic Stories brings together designers from different countries on a common intellectual ground through the competitions and exhibitions it organises annually. Works selected for the organisation’s showcase gain the right to be featured in the international exhibition, whilst the fifty selected works are also included in the competition’s annual publication. The jury members include David Carson, renowned for his experimental approach to typography and his globally recognised work, alongside Shangning Wang, Jiayan He, José Luis Hernández Díaz, Behnam Raeesian and Aristarchos Papadaniel.