Speaker Ishan Khosla

Ishan Khosla is an Associate Professor of Design at UPES, Dehradun.

A practicing graphic and type designer, he is the founder of The Typecraft Initiative, through which he investigates the role of design in the material transformation of folk and tribal art (embroideries, wall paintings, tattoos etc) into digital typefaces that embed indigenous knowledge in the font. His research encompasses the role of design in negotiating agency and sovereignty with tribal artists, the impact of craft on type design, digital and cultural heritage, material culture, and pedagogy.

With an MFA degree in Design from the School of Visual Arts, NYC, Khosla’s work centres on craft and design in the Global South, exploring vernacular culture, ecology and sustainability, the politics of caste, the informal economy, and urban spaces. Khosla’s work has been exhibited internationally at venues including, UK: the London Design Biennial and Fashion Textile Museum, London | Japan: Atelier Muji Ginza, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum and, Ginza Graphic Gallery | Australia: RMIT Gallery, Australian Design Center, Benjil Place and IOTA Perth (2021 and 2024) | Poland: Warsaw Poster Biennial

His work is held in the collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the Letterform Archive (San Francisco), the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (Japan), and the Powerhouse Museum (Sydney).