AN INVENTION OF ULI TYPEFACE FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN

Abstract

Uli, the heritage of the ancient Igbo people, which was a very popular form of art, served aesthetic and symbolic purposes. Uli drawing comprises of raw lines of various types, shapes of various nature and also numerous witty and sharp images, representing everyday life of the Igbo, from farms, cooking pots, plants, birds, animals, the sun, moon and kola nut. The Uli design motifs and patterns however were drawn on various surfaces like the human body, mud walls, wooden surfaces, textile, among others. Apart from beauty, Uli served symbolic purposes in the ancient Igbo.