Held at Turner Contemporary in 2020, We Will Walk – Art and Resistance in the American South showcased the work of African American artists and makers from Alabama and the surrounding states, in the first exhibition of its kind to be held in the UK. The exhibits, including sculptures, paintings and quilts, revealed a little-known history shaped by the Civil Rights period during the 1950s and 60s.
Our design for the marketing campaign and exhibition placed emphasis on strong and assertive typography, intending to evoke a feeling of the period, encompassed by the exhibits, whilst remaining relevant to today. We drew our typographic references from printed ephemera originating within the Civil Rights movement, developing a bold and plain-speaking approach to title typography in reflection of the curators’ desire for a direct approach to the content and subject matter of the exhibition.
Within the exhibition spaces, we used a combination of painted and stencilled lettering alongside paper text panels to establish more intimate tone, striking a balance between boldness and sensitivity to the artworks.
Photography: Lewis Ronald
