Ladies of Lune: Exploring Type with Zeenat Kulavoor

Through our recent obsession with type design filed under our series — #LuneExploresType and the release of Lune Letters A-Z necklaces, we found ourselves admiring the work of a few creative minds that take up a notable space in the field. So, we thought what better way to spotlight one such mind than through an edition of Ladies of Lune.

Spirited, and quick-witted, navigating her way through a vibrant world of typeface and design is designer and co-founder of Bombay Duck Designs — Zeenat Kulavoor. Her work is bright with a lively sense of humour, taking from a familiar and bustling Bombay she calls home. Zeenat began her journey with type specialising in Urdu script, by picking up her love for it through her time in university. Since then, she helms Bombay Duck Designs, while also working closely with her brother Sameer Kulavoor and partner Prajval Mendon. Zeenat’s work has been recognised for its distinctive style, with her colourful personality seeping right through.

In a lovely chat with her, Zeenat takes us through her life as a designer and typographer. A glimpse into her creative mind and what the world looks like through her eyes.

Photography: Amitava Saha | Interview: Josanne Roberts

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a Lune Letter Z with the Kaveri Mixed Metal Choker on her neck, Dual Pixel Hoops on her ears, a stack of Narrow Roundabout Chimbai and Ripple Bangles in gold tone and a Ripple Bangle in Silver tone on her wrist; and Power Nail Rings, Grit Double Strike and Triple Strike Rings, Mega and Macro City Rings, a Baby Lucia Ring and a Yuki Spiral Ring on her fingers.

1. Introduce yourself! Tell us a bit about what you do…

I am Zeenat Kulavoor, I live in Bombay. You'll find me most often in three places: among stray animals, surrounded by various types of flowers, and navigating a bustling bazaar.

I wear many hats: typographer, graphic designer, book designer, printmaker, and a keen observer of my surroundings. I have a deep appreciation for working with tactile materials.

Currently, I lead the team at Bombay Duck Designs, a boutique illustration design studio. Through BDD, I've had the privilege of working on a diverse array of projects, ranging from collaborations with multinational corporations and cultural institutions to independent musicians and contemporary artists. I am deeply involved in all the self-publishing and book design ventures our studio takes on.

In my personal art practice, I explore the world of multilingual Indian scripts, with a special focus on Urdu type, lettering, and calligraphy. Urdu script holds a special place in my heart. I employ tongue-in-cheek humour and wit, combined with various printmaking methods and materials, to reinvent how Urdu script can be integrated into our daily lives.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a Lune Letter Z with the Kaveri Mixed Metal Choker on her neck, Dual Pixel Hoops on her ears.

2. Where did it all begin? How did your passion for typography start?

I studied design at Sir J. J. School of Applied Art in Bombay. On the first day of college as I began to feel lost in the sea of students, my first lecturer (Mr. Santosh Kshirsagar) turned out to be a calligrapher — in his orientation he spoke about letterforms and scripts and pens and inks and papers and all this just opened up a whole new universe for me. I started with observing the use of letterforms around me in the form of packaging, branding, hand painted signage and all forms of design. It all fascinated me.

As and how I progressed in college I took up Typography as my major and one fine day when the professor briefed us about a major assignment where we had to select one Indian script and work in groups of two to create a calligraphy manual in the chosen script, I bunked college. The next day I got to know that of 10 script options, 9 were already taken and I was left with one script — Urdu. It’s like it was fate. I had no idea where to begin. I took it up as a challenge and thoroughly enjoyed the process of research, learning and execution. It all began there.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a stack of Narrow Roundabout Chimbai and Ripple Bangles in gold tone and a Ripple Bangle in Silver tone on her wrist; and Power Nail Rings, Grit Double Strike and Triple Strike Rings, Mega and Macro City Rings, a Baby Lucia Ring and a Yuki Spiral Ring on her fingers.

3. Tell us about your design process. Do you have a few rituals?

My ritual actually depends on the kind of project I’m working on, but there are a few go-to ways I start with — one would be to grab my sketchbook and pencils and start drawing/ sketching — to set a vision for the project. Another way is to start by browsing through what I call my ‘bank’, its multiple folders of pictures I take on a day to day basis — pictures of things that inspire me + regular documentation —  mainly for projects that need research. Another way is when I need to come up with ideas — I keep updating my notes (on the phone) or voice notes (again, on the phone) with ideas on a day to day basis — this is my go to when it comes to working on my personal typography works.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a Lune Letter Z with the Kaveri Mixed Metal Choker on her neck, Dual Pixel Hoops on her ears.

4. How would you best describe your style, both, design and otherwise?

I embrace colours in my work and personal style. My inspiration predominantly stems from shapes, forms, and the meanings they convey. This influence is evident in both my design aesthetics and my overall personal style.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a stack of Narrow Roundabout Chimbai and Ripple Bangles in gold tone and a Ripple Bangle in Silver tone on her wrist; and Power Nail Rings, Grit Double Strike and Triple Strike Rings, Mega and Macro City Rings, a Baby Lucia Ring and a Yuki Spiral Ring on her fingers.

5. What are 5 must-have pieces, in your jewellery box and closet?

Jewellery box — 

1. My wedding ring which is a geometric take on a traditional Mangalorean Vanki Ring.

2. My grandmothers ‘Aleykaat’ which is the earring Mangalorean Beary women wear on the helix of the ear.

3. My mangalsutra which is a combination of the black beads with a Kerala Ela Thali pendant.

4. My mothers Jhumki earrings.

5. My everyday small flat circular studs in gold.

Closet — 

1. A black dress for whenever I don’t know what to wear! 

2. My colourful shirts that really keep me up and about everyday.

3. My linen shorts 

4. My favourite double sided swimwear which I cannot stop raging about - from Summer House.

5. A thin white cotton dress, which is my regular at home wear and I cannot live without it.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a stack of Narrow Roundabout Chimbai and Ripple Bangles in gold tone and a Ripple Bangle in Silver tone on her wrist; and Power Nail Rings, Grit Double Strike and Triple Strike Rings, Mega and Macro City Rings, a Baby Lucia Ring and a Yuki Spiral Ring on her fingers.

6. Describe your space? How did you go about designing your studio?

I share my studio with my brother, Sameer Kulavoor, who's an artist, and my life partner, Prajval Mendon, who's a printmaker. Our studio has abundant natural light and I am constantly surrounded by inspiring individuals. Collaboration is second nature to us, and when we're all in work mode, the atmosphere is invigorating!

Architect Rahul Malandkar designed the space, capturing a shared "analogue" aesthetic that resonates with all three of us. He skilfully maintained the original, weathered walls and added layers of texture, incorporating elements like exposed wood and bamboo curtains. Moreover, the space is modular, allowing any one of us to utilise the entire area whenever needed.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a Lune Letter Z with the Kaveri Mixed Metal Choker on her neck, Dual Pixel Hoops on her ears.

7. What is your favourite kind of project to work on?

My favourite projects are those that have ample room for creative expression combined with logic or enable me to venture into new mediums and materials. Ideally, a project that combines both aspects is the most rewarding, like the Pro Max of creative opportunities.

Some notable examples include the book design for 'Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh' with Prarthna Singh, an Urdu type-based installation called 'Harmony' created for the Facebook AIR program in Hyderabad, the 'Bombay On A Plate' wall installation crafted for The Bombay Canteen, the 'Everyday India' exhibition and book design, among many others.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a Lune Letter Z with the Kaveri Mixed Metal Choker on her neck, Dual Pixel Hoops on her ears, and a stack of Narrow Roundabout Chimbai and Ripple Bangles in gold tone and a Ripple Bangle in Silver tone on her wrist.

8. With the pace of the world consistently increasing, preserving and reimagining old forms of expression is something that has been definitive of your work through ‘ilm’. What inspired this relationship with language and typography for you?

During my time in college when I was researching for my first project in Urdu, it was difficult. It was then when I realised that Urdu is much, much more than just a script. Its existence, its use, its visual appeal means different things to different people, the language in itself is intense and beautiful. Non-Urdu speakers would relate it to religion and Muslim Urdu speakers would relate it to God. Literary Urdu speakers are a whole other kind of people, emphasising only on speaking correctly/pronunciation. 

While juggling through this, my professor and mentor Vinay Saynekar sir encouraged me and I started creating work that made me smile, one of my first projects involved creating a playful yet bold display typeface ‘ilm’ and as an extension of this, I designed screen printed posters that used Urdu tongue twisters like ‘ऊंचे ऊंट की पूंछ ऊंची, कुछ ऊंट ऊंचा, कुछ पूंछ ऊंची’ and another project called ‘Khala Kehti Thi’ original carved in linoleum sheets — that used everyday street smart Urdu phrases like ‘Deewaron ke bhi kaan hote hain’, ‘Khayali Pulao’, ‘Zaroorat ke waqt gadhe ko bhi baap banana padta hain’ etc. I also took up a proper 3 year Urdu course which brought to light a lot of nuances in the language and usage of the script.

The more I immersed myself in Urdu, learning new words, meeting people, the more inspired I became to create with this script

Lately, I have also started enjoying working with Malayalam, Kannada and Gujarati. I think starting with Urdu has only made me more curious about most Indian scripts and there’s a big hungry monster in me who wants to keep learning. When I started with my journey in type I had no idea there was so much to it and so much I can do with it.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears Power Nail Rings, Grit Double Strike and Triple Strike Rings, Mega and Macro City Rings, a Baby Lucia Ring and a Yuki Spiral Ring on her fingers.

9. What was it like to put together Everyday India in 47-A?

Putting together 'Everyday India' was an exhilarating yet exhausting experience, in the best possible way.

The concept behind 'Everyday India' had been brewing for a while, and I had unknowingly been documenting Indian design in various forms over the years. When Srila Chatterjee from 47A approached Sameer Kulavoor and me (we were the co-curators of the show) with the idea of an exhibition centred around Indian graphics, we dove into our archives and began piecing together a series of ideas that could be unified under the banner of 'Everyday India.'

'Everyday India' is a research-based illustrated documentation of the multiplicity and multiculturalism within the Indian graphic art and design landscape. It serves as a collection of observations, both sweeping and meticulous, examining design beyond the confines of 'file dimensions.' It delves into the spillage of 'graphic design' onto the streets, where the formal and informal intersect. The project also explores the boundaries between design and art, as well as the areas where the two overlap.

Though discussions about the show began in November 2022, the actual work commenced at the end of April 2023. It was an intense three-month period of research, documentation, illustration, and design. My small yet highly talented team at Bombay Duck Designs — Humera Khan, Swapnil Sawant, Dnyanesh Patale, and Mayur Chopade — played an instrumental role in bringing the show to life. 'Everyday India' allowed us to be involved in everything, from branding to painting to exhibition design to book design, and we relished every step of the process.

In addition to the exhibition, we organised a series of engaging programs. We had the opportunity to converse with industry professionals on a variety of topics, ranging from 'What is Indian graphic design?' with Kurnal Rawat, Shahid Datawala, and Sarang Kulkarni, to exploring the design process of a brand through a 'client-designer' relationship with Rahul Reddy from Subko Coffee and Anirudh Mehta, and delving into the language of taxi decals with Rabia Gupta. We explored the role of typography through type walks with Tanya George, held informal discussions with Sarnath Banerjee, explored book design with Prarthna Singh, discussed multiculturalism with Shiva Nallaperumal, and focused on printmaking through workshops on screen printing with Pritam Arts and lino-cut printing with Poorva Shingre.

Pictured above: Zeenat wears a Lune Letter Z with the Kaveri Mixed Metal Choker on her neck, Dual Pixel Hoops on her ears, a stack of Narrow Roundabout Chimbai and Ripple Bangles in gold tone and a Ripple Bangle in Silver tone on her wrist; and Power Nail Rings, Grit Double Strike and Triple Strike Rings, Mega and Macro City Rings, a Baby Lucia Ring and a Yuki Spiral Ring on her fingers.

10. Could you name a few designers whose typography and design projects are some you truly admire?

I draw inspiration and deep admiration for typography and design from a wide spectrum of creative minds, including:

• Lubna Chowdhary’s bold work with the fragility of her medium.

• The freedom I sense in Jogen Chowdhury’s black and white drawings.

• Muzzumil Ruheel’s minimalist approach with type.

• Bahia Shehab’s political activism and research driven work.

• Issey Miyake’s structured clothing. 

• Sudhir Patwardhan’s poignant paintings.

• The sense of calm in Nasreen Mohamedi’s work.

• KG Subramanyan’s Books and so many more.