“What is your type?” a curious friend or an eager parent may wonder. Perhaps you may even be asking this yourself.
In collaboration with ADA contemporary gallery, PRE-RESERVED, AS Sign and Tony’s Chocolonely, British-Ghanaian Designer, Leroy Wadie, invites you to ask this question in his innovative design showcase What’s Your Type?
Initially beginning with a questionnaire asking people what qualities they look for in a partner, the top 10 most common responses out of the 150 received were later artistically conveyed into Wadie’s immersive exhibition.
Using typography, the 10 characteristics are presented in a large-scape, multi-media conceptual art installation which further inspire discussions about love and communication with one’s (ideal) partner.
On 17th of August, in Amsterdam-Noord, the opening engrossed us with the distinctive typography of each quality whose meaning of the word were comically emphasized by their physical appearance and the various art mediums utilized in tandem.
Daring, as one commonly desired quality, creatively stuck out of the wall together with vast, audacious shapes in contrasting color. Meanwhile, Spoiled, sat silently at the back of the exhibition space in italic black and white. The enlarged characteristic consumed an entire blank empty wall all to itself, just as the meaning of the word humorously inferred. The lettering of Confident, as another quality, is plastered in the center of a circular mirror where the viewer amusingly catches a glimpse of themself and potentially what they seek for in a partner.
Wadie’s design showcase not only intends to spark conversations about preferences but also cleverly alters how we interact with design as an instrument to disclose a deeper message.
Although Confident manifested as a prevalent characteristic from the questionnaire, the immersive typography subconsciously questions the viewer to also reflect on their own self as a promising partner; to further wonder how other people can perceive ‘confidence’ as an attractive feature based on their own outer and inner image.
Communication, also uniquely portrayed, included an extensive royal blue curtain hanging from the ceiling containing another question in bold letters “Do you hear me?” The immense size of the installation finely expresses the essential need to be heard by your partner.
From other qualities like Affectionate poised comfortably on a wall that resembled a quilt to Persuasive positioned above an animated comic strip on a TV screen, Wadie has not only transformed a grand space into an immersive playground but has also successfully given these characteristics a recognizable and amusing personality.
The showcase design is welcome to all who are curious about finding their preferences in a partner. If, however, you feel confident that you are certain of yourself then I invite you regardless to venture into the creative world of typography and be unexpectedly surprised. Anja Herrmann 18th August 2023
