Terra Oprimi Font
Advanced Typography with Henk Van Assen
Fall 2022
Google Earth was a tool first created for drivers to ground a collection of lines,
buildings, and green areas to reality, one abundant in colour.
Now after decades of satellite images amassed, we can reach every single corner
(and contour) at the tip of our fingers.
When I first discovered mines, from an aerial standpoint, it looked like a beautiful
national park, carved by rare erosion that I'd never seen before. Zooming in, the
unfortunate reality began to settle in and I realised it was a manufactured landscape.
It started with O, then P, then F, and soon enough I found the entire alphabet.
Terra oprimi's purpose is to educate. To intrigue the general public with an unsettling
colour palette, beautiful imagery, and a strong message that does not shame but rather informs.
Compositionally, Terra Oprimi challenged me to find a hierarchy that highlights the
message first, easing the reader with topographical lines, and eventually sharing a resource
that is readily accessible to any viewer who wants to take action.
I drew inspiration from Swiss modernism and its strong visual rhythm, with Terra Oprimi
creating a grid, the topographical lines wrapping around one square wholly, and a second
that includes the event details.