Bricolage Grotesque, a whimsical new open-source font, has been released for the delight of designers everywhere. This typeface mixes eccentricity with a well-balanced structure.
In the constant quest for fresh typography, Bricolage Grotesque emerged on our radar.
The creator of the font, Mathieu Triay, characterizes it as a ‘variable font with French flair and English precision.’ The style finds the sweet spot between fun and functionality. It’s possibly the go-to font for creatives who aim to incorporate originality into their designs while maintaining excellent legibility.
Mathieu’s perspective for Bricolage Grotesque is shaped by a rich blend of historical motifs. The font embodies the experience of voyaging the globe and forging a home in unfamiliar terrains. To Mathieu, this font fuses historical narratives with a contemporary edge – embodying the emotional voyage of his grandfather across the Mediterranean and his own journey as a French expat in England.
The journey of creating Bricolage Grotesque began with a variant of Jérémy Landes’ Mayenne Sans, a once open-source, singular-weight typeface. Drawing from an array of traditional French and British influences, Mathieu infused elements from Roger Excoffon’s Antique Olive and the distinctive Grotesque fonts from early 20th-century Stephenson Blake.
The fusion delivers an artful combination of diverse typographic traditions. The distinctive big openings, dynamic curves, and playful nature of Mayenne Sans mesh with the robust, condensed character of the Grotesque family. Antique Olive’s design nuances bring balance and coherence to what could otherwise be overly exuberant for regular use.
Mathieu terms his aesthetic ‘subtle whimsy’. His typeface is vivid yet avoids the trap of becoming gimmicky or overly decorative. Bricolage Grotesque strikes a harmonious note between distinctive inventiveness and practicality for extensive reading – certainly a distinctive quality, making it a likely favorite for those seeking to infuse their designs with diversity. You can experiment with this typeface at no cost by heading to the Bricolage Grotesque webpage.
