Thy Ha The dance of strokes, curves, and diacritical marks in Vietnamese typography unfolds a story deeply embedded in the nation’s cultural tapestry. However, as Vietnam embraces modernity, these hand-drawn relics face the threat of digital overshadowing. Lưu Chữ aims to explore and research this transformation, to preserve and safeguard our typographic heritage. Our journey began with a fascination for the hand-drawn shop signs that adorn Vietnamese streets. These signs are not just visually captivating; they carry many families’ stories, events, and the country’s transformation. Our mission goes beyond preservation; it’s about finding these stories woven into each stroke and curve of these beautifully drawn characters and diacritics, and re-introducing them in a contemporary context.
Our research unveils the lives of the lettering artists, their influences, and the intricate decisions behind every typographic element. Our curiosity often directs us to hidden articles, forgotten murals, and relics, creating a vivid picture of Vietnam’s typographic evolution. These findings inspire our content, aimed at increasing both local and global appreciation for Vietnamese type design history. To preserve this legacy, we have been building an online archive, safeguarding typographic gems found across Vietnam and other countries. We also draw inspiration and learn from diverse Vietnamese diasporas to enrich our research. By fusing tradition with modernity, we also work on typefaces inspired by our discoveries, as we find that they are still much relevant in today’s digital landscape. Join us on this journey as we celebrate Vietnamese typography, shedding light on its historical significance and shaping its contemporary narrative.