seen from Guam
seen from Japan
seen from Chile
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Türkiye
seen from Malaysia
seen from Austria
seen from France
seen from Taiwan
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Netherlands
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Pakistan
seen from Singapore
seen from Netherlands
seen from Uzbekistan
seen from Brazil
seen from Singapore
seen from Germany
Colonial Bastard Rhodes, a Typeface by Osmond Tshuma
There's more to this lively, vintage-feel typeface than meets the eye. Creator Osmond Tshuma was inspired by a dark chapter in Africa's past.
We chose Osmond's work for our most recent "Best of Behance" profile. See more at "Best of Behance: Osmond Tshuma" on Inspire.
Osmond Tshuma
Osmond Tshuma, is a Johannesburg based designer/illustrator working at an advertising agency. Find out what he would like to do in Zimbabwe and how he found his passion for art. :)
Describe your path to what you are doing now? It’s definitely not an easy one. I’ve been trying to push a few personal projects just to get myself out there and on the other hand I also need to juggle work, so one can just imagine how much hard work I need to put in.
When you were growing up, was creativity part of your life and how did you decide to focus on design? Creativity was part of my life but I did not really embrace it. Focusing on design came in 2007 after graduating from the Peter Birch School of Art, however I still had to go to Pace College. This is where I finally decided that I really wanted to pursue design. Before all this, I usually just thought drawing & being creative was a hobby.
You went to the Peter Birch School of Art as well as the University of Johannesburg. Did you always know from a young age that you wanted to go to school for something creative? Well frankly no, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was growing up. Maybe I can say I don’t remember. However, after high school I wanted to be an architect. I think this was because I really enjoyed and was good at technical graphics. So going to Peter Birch School of Art wasn’t a big surprise for me but the experience opened my eyes & from there on I knew that I wanted to be in the creative industry.
Did you have an ‘aha moment’when you knew what you are doing is what you want to do for the rest of life? Yeah! I think that ‘aha moment’, came when I was in Zimbabwe working for a company called Happen Communication. I was a junior designer & I had just finished designing my first logo, so it felt super great to just being able to do just that. I have never looked back from that moment on.
How do you decide which of your ideas are worth pursuing? Usually if the idea is current and different, I would pursue it. However sometimes it would depend on whether the execution is going to be accessible or not.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? “Hard work pays”
Where do you find your inspiration from when you are not creating? I literally draw my inspiration from everywhere and absolutely anything. I enjoy taking walks around the city and I believe that everything that I run into has somewhat of an effect on my designs later on.
Are you creatively satisfied? No, I am not. I am always hungry for more; sometimes I look at my own work & always think I can do better. I don’t just want to do graphic design my whole life; I would love to explore more design & art disciplines. If there is room for me to art direct a short film, I would grab the opportunity with both hands.
What type of work are you currently doing? Well currently am a designer at an advertising agency in Johannesburg, specializing in advertising and branding.
Are there any Zimbabwean creative that excite you at the moment? Sindiso Nyoni is one my biggest inspiration currently.
How has living in Johannesburg, influenced your creativity and work? Johannesburg is a creative hub and I really enjoy the diversity of the people and the busyness of the city on its own is just exciting. There is a lot inspiration around Johannesburg, whether one is in down town Maboneng right up to Newtown. There is always something to do or somewhere to go to. And as a creative who lives in the city I often get to meet other creatives & share ideas.
What do you find exciting about being a young creative from Zimbabwe?
I think that I bring a sense of uniqueness to the creative field. My mindset is not the same as everybody else and that gives me an advantage in someway.
What do you think of the current state of the Zimbabwean creative industry? I believe the Zimbabwean creative industry is growing; some might not see this however it’s not the same as compared other years. Zimbabwe is producing some of the most competitive artists year after year. I think we just need to support each other.
What impact do you think Zimbabwean creative are making abroad? In your experience, how does the rest of the world view the Zimbabwean creative scene? I think we are growing as I stated above, we might not be as prominent as other countries but we are creating a presence. Some of the most recognised stone sculptures in the world come from Zimbabwe. Saki Mafundikwa and ChazMaviyane are world recognised Zimbabwean graphic designers. I think the world sees the Zimbabwean creative scene as vibrant and original. This can be seen by the vast number of participates and art lovers who come from all over the world to attend the Harare International Festival of Art (HIFA) and other creative gatherings.
Is there anything you’re interested in exploring in Zimbabwe in the near future? I would love to be travel around Zimbabwe and teach kids about design.
Where do you see yourselffive years from now? I see myself running my own design studio and becoming a creative director.
Do you feel a responsibility to contribute something bigger than yourself? I do feel the need, because as the Zulu saying goes,“umuntungumuntungabantu”. Contributing to the wellness of others would definitely be something that I like to do. While others need food, others may need simple motivation. So, wherever I can help I’ll be putting my all into it.
What kind of legacy do you hope to leave? A great one hey. I would like to be known as one of the hard working designers to come from Zimbabwe.
Colonial Bastard Typeface
http://www.africandigitalart.com/2014/02/colonial-bastard-typeface
A graphic design project by Zimbabwean born illustrator and graphic designer Osmond Tshuma.
The Colonial Bastard Rhodes typeface is a post-colonial critique of both Cecil John Rhodes and the impact of Colonialism in South Africa. The typeface is based on identifying certain key characteristics of fonts and typography used during the Colonial Era. Taking the exaggerated serif and vertical stress of the typefaces as a starting point, the Colonial Bastard Rhodes typeface was born. An easily legible, post-modern heading font.
