Nakka mukka: expressive forms in Tamil typographic history

Using Tamil language and script as a case study, this paper discusses the importance of acknowledging different contextual histories and expressions in the study of typography. It employs examples ranging from Tamil printed ephemera (c.1906-1970) found in the Roja Muthiah Archive, Chennai to contemporary, vernacular approaches to the Tamil alphabet by sign painters & cinema artists in Chennai. Broadly, the paper stresses the importance of understanding everyday (ordinary) visual and oral traditions and expressions and acknowledging their relationship to typography and language. It also suggests ways in which we can convey the histories and contexts of Indian scripts and languages to those unfamiliar with the Indian context.