Sankofa Display, a typeface that draws inspiration from African art styles, with a focus on straight-line geometric designs, is now live on Google Fonts
Designed by Batsirai Madzonga, Sankofa Display blends cultural motifs with contemporary design, celebrating African heritage.
Sankofa Display, a captivating African typeface that draws inspiration from a rich tapestry of African art styles, with a particular focus on straight-line geometric designs, is now live on Google Fonts.
According to Batsirai Madzonga, the designer commissioned by Google Fonts to create the typeface, Sankofa Display blends cultural motifs with contemporary design, celebrating African heritage. “This font aims to share African culture globally and serve as a practical tool for typographers,” says Madzonga.
Originally created to inspire creatives around the world to embrace their culture, Sankofa embodies the essence of Africa's diverse cultural heritage, blending elements from various artistic traditions.
Read Also: Google Fonts adds Ga Maamli, a font inspired by handwritten posters found in Accra, to its catalogue
Drawing inspiration from African clay pots, the Zimbabwe bird, and Zulu beadwork & art, Sankofa Display focuses on straight-line geometric designs. “Rooted in African heritage, the typeface harmonises straight lines with circles and dots, mirroring the intricate patterns seen in everyday items like the Zimbabwean clay pot. Growing up surrounded by these designs, I drew influence from their geometric precision,” Madzonga notes. “The stone-carved bird is the national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flag and coats of arms. The hungwe, Zimbabwean bird, contributes to the typeface with its intricate geometric motifs found at the base of the sculptures.”
He adds, “The vibrant Zulu traditional patterns add a colourful palette, creating a visually captivating and culturally resonant typeface that celebrates Africa’s geometric heritage in a concise and impactful manner.”
Read Also: Google Fonts adds 2 typefaces—created by a Nigerian and a Zimbabwean designer—to its catalogue
The typeface name “Sankofa” is a Twi word from the Akan Tribe of Ghana that translates to, “Return and get it, learn from the past.” The symbol of Sankofa is often represented as a bird with its head turned backwards while its feet face forward, symbolising the importance of reflecting on the past to move forward and make progress, says Madzonga.
Sankofa Display is part of Google Fonts’ latest addition to its robust catalogue of open-source fonts. “I am excited to announce the launch of my new Google font, Sankofa Display, part of Google's initiative to commission African designers for Google Fonts,” Madzonga tells The Creatives Note.
Other typefaces in the Google Fonts Africa type project collection, per our previous reports, include Ga Maamli, a font inspired by handwritten posters found in Accra, designed by Afotey Clement Nii Odai, Ama Diaka, and David Abbey-Thompson, Ojuju, a san-serif typeface of an afro-grotesque style, created by Chisaokwu Joboson, a Nigerian-based brand and type designer, and Madimi, a rounded-sans with a mixed geometric and organic design, created by Taurai Valerie Mtake, a Zimbabwean visual communicator and type designer.
Tac One, a single-weight, bold Sans Serif typeface and Danfo, a tuscan serif font, designed by Afrotype—a Lagos-based type studio founded by Seyi Olusanya—are also a part of the collection.
