Designer Yazmin Salgado approaches typography as something that can live beyond the page. In her ongoing self-initiated project Embodied Typography, language becomes material, spatial and reflective, turning a simple word into an object that exists within the physical world.
The project began as an exploration of how design can operate as a space of freedom and emotional honesty. Rather than treating typography purely as a graphic tool, Salgado explores how words can become physical forms that occupy space, invite touch and create a personal connection with the viewer.
At the centre of the work is the word LOVE, translated across two distinct materials. The first takes the form of a silk-screen printed poster produced on metallic paper. The reflective surface was chosen deliberately, allowing the viewer to catch their own reflection within the composition. In doing so, the typography becomes something shared, placing the viewer physically within the work.
“In a time when so much of our visual culture exists digitally, materialising language becomes an act of care. It brings attention back to presence and permanence.”
Silk-screen printing plays an important role in this process. Its tactile, handcrafted nature allows the typography to exist with subtle irregularities that reinforce the physicality of the piece.
The project continues through a second interpretation of the same word. Using tufting techniques, the typography is translated into a hand-tufted wall rug, introducing softness, warmth and imperfection. Where the printed poster offers precision and reflection, the textile version adds texture and comfort.
Together, the works create a dialogue between print and textile, precision and softness, surface and depth.
“I’m interested in how typography can move beyond the page,” Salgado explains. “When language becomes an object, something that can be held or experienced in space, it opens a different emotional relationship with design.”
The project is not intended as a finished statement but as an evolving practice. Salgado is now continuing the exploration through the word DESIGN, allowing the project to expand into new forms and materials.
Yazmin Salgado is a graphic designer focused on conceptual branding and visual exploration through typography, art direction and material experimentation. Her work often sits between graphic design and artistic practice, investigating how language, form and physical presence interact.
Photography, Design and Art Direction: Yazmin Salgado
Silk-screen Printer: Antonio Guzmán
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