Spades Typeface

2023

Spades is a contemporary Baroque typeface that fuses the ornate elegance of 18th-century typography with the sharp functionality of modern inktraps. Originally developed as a thesis project for the Type West program at Letterform Archive, Spades was acquired in 2022 by Order Design’s Type Foundry (OTF) for commercial release.

Rooted in historical research and expressive design, Spades explores the unexpected resonance between two seemingly distant cultural movements: the Baroque era and the Black Arts Movement. The Baroque period—often framed through a Eurocentric, white aesthetic—has long been associated with excess, ornamentation, and power. By bringing it into conversation with the unapologetic political expressiveness of the Black Arts Movement, Spades reframes this typographic lineage through a more expansive cultural lens.

In doing so, Spades challenges dominant narratives of beauty and form, asserting a visual language that is both historically layered and deeply contemporary. It carries the extravagance, defiance, and stylistic confidence of both eras—crafting a typeface that is as much about presence as it is about power.

Trial Spades Here

Team

Design Mockups
Emily Klaebe

Mentorship
Graham Bradly, Troy Leinster

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Spades Typeface

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