Ode to Vrouwelijke Makers | Dreams

Symbols of Utopia – Dreams, 2024.  
Typography and textile are combine in this artwork. The large canvas is interwoven with symbolic characters and snippets of text. These are derived from odes on the digital platform of Women of Amsterdam. The work is part of a large-scale artistic research project by artist duo Yamuna Forzani (1993) and Celine Hurka (1995). In her work, multidisciplinary artist and queer activist Forzani focuses on envisioning a queer utopia, where textiles and social initiatives are key. Hurka is a typographic designer who investigates the cultural significance behind letterforms.  

Together they delved into archives and museum collections, including those of the Amsterdam Museum, and searched for works and symbolism of women makers. This research led them to historical objects such as samplers and banners, which they used as inspiration for new, inclusive typefaces. 

Symbols of Utopia is a celebration of dreams, gender and queer identity through fonts, large wall hangings and installations. The work also invites reflection on the absence of female creators within typography and asks: how can we make them visible?T