Grilli Type new typeface GT Maru is a wild and wonderful collision of cultures

Coming from the mind of Grilli Type co-founder Thierry Blancpain, GT Maru was an exercise in finding the balance between form and function; a difficult task due to the vibrancy seemingly bursting from the letterforms, but a task successfully achieved nonetheless – resulting in a totally charming and excitable typeface that is an illuminating departure from the brutal and stark typefaces we see in the contemporary typographic scene.

Following four years of traveling to and from Japan, alongside a perpetual pondering of the joyful tone of visual communication in the country, Thierry began exploring the 'maru' ('roundness') of Latin script, experimenting on how the two worlds could cohesively combine.

Subsequently the outcome is pretty prolific, with five weights, including proportional and monospace subfamilies, and an enormous dual emoji set to accompany it. With the emojis coming in monochrome and colour, there will certainly be an icon to help you out when words just fail to express your thoughts – such as an emoji of Thierry's own dog Barley!