Sharon Ng

Oriena is a type family inspired by Oriental aesthetics, particularly the elegance of Chinese armchairs from the Qing Dynasty period (1644–1911). This era marked a unique dialogue between Eastern and Western aesthetics which I aimed to translate into Latin letterforms.

As this was my first Latin type design project, I approached it with both curiosity and respect. Three key values shaped my initial brief: elegance, delicacy, and high contrast. These became guiding principles throughout the development process.

I began my exploration by studying a wide range of Chinese historical artefacts—from architecture and ceramics to classical furniture. However, I realised that blending design cues from various objects could easily lead to visual inconsistency. I chose to focus on one object of Chinese armchairs. These chairs, particularly the round-back or "yoke-back" forms from the Ming and Qing dynasties, offered rich inspiration due to their combination of structural clarity and graceful curves.

The design process began by using a humanist typeface I had previously done as a foundation. I then infused this structure with visual cues drawn from armchair forms—merging firm, vertical strokes with fluid terminals and detailing inspired by mortise-and-tenon joints, curving crest rails, and tapering legs. I also referenced historical typefaces such as Giraldon to guide proportion and rhythm.

One of the biggest challenges I encountered was deciding how much of the furniture’s form to incorporate directly into the letterforms. Armchairs from this era are complex—often combining geometric symmetry with ornate carving. At first, I attempted to integrate these ornamental details into the main glyph set. However, I found that too many features created visual noise when used in a text version.

To solve this, I refined the core letterforms for readability and elegance while transferring the more intricate and decorative elements into alternate glyphs. This solution allowed Oriena to serve both practical and expressive purposes—balancing clarity in body text with flourish in display use.

The Oriena family includes text styles in Regular, Medium, Bold, Extra Bold, and Black, along with Italic and Condensed (Condensed, Thin, and Hairline) variants. It also includes a set of alternates designed for headlines and display settings.

Ultimately, Oriena is a celebration of Eastern heritage through the lens of Latin typography. It was designed with branding in mind—particularly for those aligned with Oriental identity or craftsmanship. It invites designers to explore the poetic tension between structure and ornament.

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