— Elamine Maecha

Elamine Maecha

— Associate artist with FAIR-E / CCN de Rennes et de Bretagne

Design, a Language of Its Own

Graphic designer, typographer, and researcher, he deconstructs visual representations of hip hop to reveal its aesthetic plurality.

Elamine studied at ENSAD, the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Strasbourg, and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA).

After graduating, he became a researcher at ANRT, the Atelier National de Recherche Typographique in Nancy, founded in 1985 to give renewed impetus to typographic creation. He now teaches at the École Supérieure d’Art de Lorraine.

Within BURO-GDS, he designs visual identities for some of the most prestigious cultural institutions, publishing houses, and galleries in France.

With the FAIR-E collective, he shares a commitment to deconstructing stereotypical and outdated visual representations of hip hop, opening them up to other horizons in line with the plurality of aesthetics shaping this culture today. In 2019, he designed the graphic charter of CCN de Rennes et de Bretagne, its bespoke typeface, and the signage for the Le Garage and Saint-Melaine sites, paying tribute to several pioneers of hip hop dance in France.