My grandfather, Wayne Thalasinos, was one of 10 children born to Cristos Thalassinos. While he never learned the language, he was always proud of his last name and where his family came from. Later on in life, my grandfather joined the United States Navy. With a complicated last name, he was given the nickname ‘Greek’ and was referred to as such for the rest of his 27 year naval career. The ‘Greek’ typeface is made to honor him and the proud heritage that my family comes from.
Lemon is a crucial element of Greek cuisine, and I wanted to connect its significance with the gritty, chaotic environment of a diesel submarine— full of grease, oil, and dirt. Using a twig from my own lemon tree and black ink, I hand-drew all the letters, numbers, and symbols, then refined them digitally to create the typeface called ‘Greek.’ ‘Greek’ blends traditional Greek symbolism with the pooled ink and bold strokes of expressive, hand-drawn lettering.
All applications of the typeface are meant to mirror items my grandfather would have brought back or mailed while he was deployed or overseas. His collection of pins inspired the magnet, with the stamps and postcards paying and ode to his continuous communication and devotion to my Meme, or grandmother.
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