I’d come across the name Gerard Unger many times in books and publications before actually meeting him in person. A personal encounter preceded by that much fame is always a curious endeavor. And the first thing one thinks of someone that famous is ‘he probably died years ago’. The paradox is that immortality suits best those who we’ve lost. But what’s even stranger is when the enigma of a name read many times becomes a person of flesh and blood, someone who you can have tea with and talk about anything. That was my personal experience with Gerard Unger. And probably for many of his students too. Looking back I now realize all the things his lessons and encounters unleashed in me. I’ll try to make here, as a humble tribute, a personal portrait of him tethered with thoughts and anecdotes, hoping it may help humanize a figure that might have been mythologized, as is often the case with those who’ve had a huge influence in their time.  Read

This typeface is named after the astonishing guitar player and singer Atahualpa Yupanqui, a central figure to Argentine folk music. ‘Don Ata’, as he was called, was a wise poet with a particularly sensitive view of the elements of nature as well as of the human condition, all of which he turned into compelling lyrics and magic songs. For years I dreamed about designing a typeface in his name. I imagined a firm, rough voice, though interpreted with delicate curves and a feel of warmth. After a few years of occasional sketching finally a spirit aroused in 2014. The initially vague forms turned into precise letterforms and with time into a family of fonts. Now the type Atahualpa finally sees the light. I’m happy. Here I invite you to unveil all the secrets behind the scene, discover the clues of the inspiration and the design process, and enjoy some footnotes from our design kitchen.  Read