Programme

CHARACTERS: Voices in Type – paint with us!

Anton de Kom (1898–1945) was a Surinamese writer, resistance fighter, and anti-colonial activist. His work and ideas remain deeply relevant today, yet they are still unfamiliar to many people in the Netherlands. With CHARACTERS: Voices in Type, we make a statement about freedom, inspired by De Kom – visible, tangible, and carried by the voices of young people and engaged residents.

American designer Tré Seals (1992) is the founder of Vocal Type Co., a type foundry that uses typography as a voice for marginalized communities. Each of his fonts is rooted in historical protest movements, bringing forgotten stories and visual cultures back into view. Seals shows that letters are more than shapes: they carry history, identity, and power. Through his work, he inspires designers worldwide to look beyond aesthetics and to use typography as a tool for representation, diversity, and social change.

At the request of Graphic Matters, Seals designed VTC WIJ, a brand-new typeface inspired by the life and values of De Kom. This typeface forms the basis for a monumental typographic mural over 100 meters long, designed by Civilization.

Make visible who must be heard!
The mural will be painted on Thursday, October 2 and Friday, October 3. Not just another painting job, but a collective expression of resistance, representation, and pride. We are looking for young people, students, neighbors, designers – and you – to help paint this shared story.

Be part of a collective artwork that makes a forgotten voice heard once more.

👉 Sign up and paint with us!