Graphic Heritage in Hebrew Type with Tal Fogel and Shany Dvora

by Emily Theodore

Alefalefalef talk with Shany Dvora and Tal Fogel, two female designers in Israel bringing their own interpretation of identity to their work in Hebrew type.

Shany Dvora

Shany Dvora. Photo: Guy Banaim

Living in Tel Aviv, Shany Dvora describes herself foremost as a storyteller. Through calligraphy, design and illustration, her work explores Mizrachi heritage through her own lens and experience.

Shany studied at Holon Institute of Technology, including a year abroad in Lisbon where she focused on calligraphy. “It was really old school there – we sat all day long in class copying letters with a nib and ink.” Her time in Portugal helped pull Shany away from digital work, both in class and on the street. Touring the old city of Lisbon, she realised the influence calligraphy had on signage there – a connection she noticed missing in much of Israel. “Israel was built so fast as a country of immigrants,” she explains, “that some of the old techniques of calligraphy developed in the diaspora were lost. Being outside of Israel helped me see that disconnect.”

After returning to Israel, Shany began training in Hebrew calligraphy, a practice she found room to express herself in. It was in her discovery of old Jewish scripts from Iraq and Iran that triggered a new curiosity in Hebrew letters – they felt rounder, softer and more emotional than what she grew up with in Israel. Noticing a lack of Mizrachi representation in Israeli typography, she evaluated her own representation as an Israeli designer. “We learned about Bauhaus design and Swiss typography,” she reflects, “but where is my Mizrachi heritage in this?”

Shany draws graphic inspiration from a variety of sources – anything from Iraqi Jewish scriptures to design studios in Tehran. With her own artistic license, Shany’s lettering is based on Mizrachi calligraphy that many Israelis, she explains, won’t recognise. “It can sometimes take time for people to realise it’s Hebrew,” Shany notes, “because they first think it’s Arabic. But they just don’t know this Hebrew.” A project where Shany explores Mizrachi heritage is ‘Concealed Designs’. Applying North African and Middle Eastern calligraphy and design, Shany reimagined Israel’s emblems, flag and typography to feature a “what if” scenario that included Mizrachi influence in Israel’s visual language.

Shany’s work continues to spark conversation around identity, representation and education that not only informs viewers, but inspires Shany to create more. “I’m Israeli, but I also know my heritage. I just want to tie things together.”

You can view more of Shany’s work on her website and Instagram.

 


Tal Fogel

Tal Fogel of Taloosh Studio is a Haifa-based graphic designer and musician. With a bold and colourful aesthetic, Tal describes her visual style as ever-changing, inspired by vintage references and her multi-cultural environment.

Tal Fogel. Photo: Bella Potchy

Vivid and eye-catching, there’s always a nostalgic undertone to Tal’s designs, she explains. Her graphic take on a project will often involve diving into a time period – how its people thought, behaved and even dressed – to authentically reimagine it for today’s audience. A recent project highlight for Tal was delivering the design and branding for the TV series Chava & Nava, a show about two women who used to sing together in a 70s military band. The artwork for the series features custom type for each of the 8 episodes, as well as the overall graphic language of the show. All the typography was inspired by the seventies, which was also the peak of Israel’s military band culture. “It was very exciting to work on such a project,” Tal recalls, “because it’s exactly the kind of project I currently enjoy working on.”

Tal’s first design project around 10 years ago was as a young musician for the cover of her debut album. Working with many other musicians today, it’s evidently a creative focus of her portfolio. As a self-taught designer, she describes herself as a free-asking, free-observing student, always going “back to the root of things” for visual inspiration; from old scriptures and 70s movie posters, to 80s candy packaging and 90s cartoons. All these references, she explains, are anchored with soul-warming, personal experiences, like enjoying nature, a healthy conversation or a good book.

The rhythm in Israel, Tal describes, is “very lively, warm, dynamic and bold.” In Haifa especially, where its cultural mix of Hebrew, Arabic, English, Russian and more is an endless source of visual material for her on the street. “Growing up here has definitely influenced the person I am today,” Tal shares. “An identity with a mix of cultures keeps me flexible, and this in my eyes is the main essence of my work.”

You can view Tal’s portfolio on her website and Instagram.