Quanzoid is my course project for a type design workshop with Letterform Archive. I wanted to explore form-making outside of calligraphic rules but still maintaining an establishment of contrast and motion. Always fascinated by forms in nature, I looked into the brushstrokes of the ocean — kelps. Rooted in shallow oceans, these large brown algae seaweeds make up underwater forests. They grow as fast as half a meter a day, sheltering thousands of marine organisms near the coasts.
Kelp forests struck me as organic calligraphy done by nature. Their elongated branches embraces both two-dimensional silhouettes and three-dimensional movements. Looking at photos and videos of kelps swaying in ocean, I began sketching.