Tubaw Letterforms

This a work-in-progress experiment using type and letterforms commissioned for an international conference.

💭 It is inspired by the "tubaw"—a traditional colorful head wrap worn by tribal village elders in Mindanao. This specific set is also influenced by Tausug (Sulu, Philippines) and T'boli (Cotabato, Philippines) textile patterns, which are composed mostly of tessellated patterns and extensive beadwork. Moreover, the color scheme comes directly from their dominant colors—blue, shades of red, and yellow.

It spells out "AJCU-AP", but intentionally it is not meant to be recognized the first time you see it. Much like Mindanao tribal patterns, which have decades of cultural weight and meaning, this design aims to have different levels of meaning at different levels of application and usage.