Shahade Bradley

Graphic design as a bridge between a person and their cultural identity

Tapok is a publication that gathers ideas around Filipino graphic design. It includes interviews with designers, Jo Malinis, Kristian Henson, John David Maza and Darin Buzon, an essay by Lobregat Balaguer and images gathered through Google Earth.

This project is an attempt to become closer to my own Filipino heritage, using graphic design as the bridge. Although the notion of ‘Filipino graphic design’ can come across as generalised, this is not my aim. The concept came out of me wanting to reconcile my Filipino heritage with my design work, namely using the latter to better understand the former. Though I cannot speak the Bisaya language, I can use the language of design as a middle ground to talk to Filipinos who practice it. I feel this topic relates to a larger idea in society, especially in the diaspora, where people may feel confused about their sense of belonging. Tapok tries to remedy this on a personal level, and hopes to bring in other people who might feel similarly.