Did you know that Satyajit Ray had designed four Roman fonts, of which one had won an international competition in 1971?
When Ray left Kala Bhavana (Santiniketan), his teacher, the great Nandalal Bose told him that he had become particularly good with the use of the Japanese calligraphic brush. It was the young commercial artist's interest in calligraphy that led to an interest in typography. When Ray started designing Bengali book covers in 1943, he found that the existing fonts did not suit the mood he wished to convey. So he invented his own.
In the late 60s, a firm in Florida commissioned him to design typefaces in Roman. He created four: Ray Roman, Ray Bizarre, Daphnis and Holiday Script. Ray Roman won an international competition.
This collage also shows the logo of Sahitya Akademi, as well as a book cover for Nehru's Discovery of India, both of which were designed by Ray.
First published by Musui Art Foundation
Juhi Saklani is a Delhi-based writer, photographer and cinema lover.