On 31 March 2026, the Chassé Theater in Breda became a meeting place for designers, thinkers and artists from around the world. Organised by Graphic Matters, Voices in Type Assembly brought together ten international speakers to share their perspectives on graphic design as a cultural, social and political force. The central question was: what happens when we see letters not only as form but also as voice?
Speakers
Michael Ellsworth (USA) is co-founder of Civilization, a design studio working with cultural institutions, architects, and civic organizations. The studio brings together history, activism, and contemporary design to create projects that resonate with audiences and provoke reflection. His work demonstrates how design can raise awareness and shape the way we
Raya Leary (USA/PT) works at Civilization at the intersection of research and strategy. She examines how visual communication and typography function within cultural, heritage, and social contexts. Her role is to clarify context and content so that design is not only visually compelling but also meaningful, supporting projects in which design becomes a voice that invites dialogue.
Tré Seals (USA) is a typographer and founder of Vocal Type. He designs typefaces that bring forward stories often missing from history books. His fonts are inspired by protest movements, activism, and Black history, and are used worldwide in culture and media. Through his work, he shows that typography is never neutral, but always reflects who is seen and heard.
Mark Baker-Sanchez (USA) is a designer and founder of the New York–based studio BakerSanchez, Inc. He helps organizations translate their story into clear, distinctive visual identities. He is also editor-in-chief of DONE The Magazine, which amplifies underrepresented voices. His work combines research, culture, and design to create meaningful visual narratives.
Beatriz Lozano (MX/USA) is a designer, artist, and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. She explores how typography, technology, and materiality blur the boundary between physical and digital media. After studying mechanical engineering, she shifted to visual arts, inspired by her involvement in immigrant rights activism. Since then, she has approached design as a tool to make social issues visible and open to public reflection.
Saki Mafundikwa (ZW) is a designer, author, and founder of the Zimbabwe Institute of Digital Arts (ZIVA). For decades he has advocated for design education rooted in African visual traditions. His book African Alphabets was the first comprehensive overview of African writing systems. Mafundikwa shows that writing and design are deeply connected to identity and history.
Ruben Pater (NL/SP) is a graphic designer, educator, and author of Politics of Design (2016) and CAPS LOCK (2020). His work reveals how graphic design is intertwined with power, economics, and politics. Using clear examples, he makes complex topics accessible. During the Assembly, he will speak about the visual language of fascism and how design can help us recognize it.
Golnar Kat Rahmani (IR/DE) is a Berlin-based creative director and artist. She explores how multilingual typography expresses cultural identity and political position. Through her studio she works with international clients, while her initiative Type & Politics questions ideological boundaries within Persian-Arabic typography. Her work shows how letterforms can both connect and exclude.
Aneesh Bhoopathy (USA) is a graphic designer and member of the design cooperative Forge. His work focuses on campaigns and initiatives that pursue social change. He gained recognition for the visual identity of Zohran Mamdani’s campaign in New York, which combines local culture, hand-drawn typography, and inclusive visual language. He sees design as a collective tool for mobilizing communities.
Guido de Boer (NL) is a visual artist who brings together text and image in monumental, hand-crafted works. Using brush and ink, he creates sentences that can be both read and experienced visually. His practice moves between calligraphy, painting, and graphic design. During the Assembly, he opened the program with a live performance in which language literally comes to life.
Characters: Voices in Type
As part of the Characters: Voices in Type project, Vocal Type earlier this year developed the typeface VTC WIJ, inspired by the ideas and legacy of Anton de Kom. Using this typeface, Civilization created a temporary 100-meter-long mural, realized in Breda in October with the help of 60 volunteers.
Photography: Dutch Design Daily
