With a style that mixes the aesthetics of Western, Asian, and Arabic calligraphy, artist Simon Silaidis intertwines the cultural traditions of these disparate parts of the world in a single harmonious script. Applying them to the bare surfaces of abandoned urban buildings, Silaidis' calligraphy conveys a message of change and hope in impoverished landscapes, both physically and philosophically. "Skyfall" is a moving video documenting this artistic process, each gest symbolizing a simple step toward inner peace and human unity.

Sakke Soini is a freelance digital artist, graphic designer, and illustrator based in Helsinki, Finland. While attending business school he realized he was spending more time perfecting his PowerPoint presentations than on his school work, so after graduating with a BA in international business in 2006, he decided to switch gears and pursue a career in graphic design. Soini draws his inspiration from the brightness of Japanese pop culture, science fiction movies, electronic music, and the 1980's in general.

Luca Ionescu is the internationally lauded artist behind Like Minded Studio, a Sydney-based design studio with a range clients that include Nike, Zoo York, MTV, Coca-Cola, and Hurley, to name a few. Ionescu is renowned for his logo and typography work, as well as his talent for branding and motion graphics. He most recently collaborated with Baz Luhrman and his team on logo branding and typography for "The Great Gatsby," going so far as to create original display typeface and letterforms exclusively for the production.

Born in Barcelona in 1981, designer, illustrator, and typographer Alex Trochut has been working professionally as a freelance artist since 2007. His works plays with modern conceptions of minimalism, effortlessly combining restraint and simplicity with touches of opulence and brilliant details. Driven by a singular desire to constantly evolve, Trochut's ambition for perennial improvement is reflected in his eclectic yet consistently exceptional body of work, not to mention his personal work philosophy, "more is more." 

Freelance designer and illustrator Teagan White studied at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design where she recently received her BFA. She currently lives outside of St. Paul, Minnesota, in the woods by the Mississippi river, near a fox den and abandoned train tracks overgrown with wildflowers. Inspired by the cycles and structures of the natural world, her work possesses a raw, rustic quality that is both captivating and lachrymose, reflecting the duality of nature's generative and destructive forces as seen through the human eye.

Whether you're a bona fide typography nerd or an inquisitive newbie, this short stop-motion animation video from Canadian graphic designer Ben Barrett-Forrest is a blast to watch, providing a highly entertaining and educational look at the evolution of fonts and the art of lettering through the ages.

Martin Schmetzer is a Stockholm-based artist who focuses primarily on hand-drawn typography. The refined lines of his superbly rendered pencil sketches, combined with an impressively high level of detail and diligence, lend a uniquely elegant yet contemporary style to his work. Schmetzer's innate talent is evident throughout his visually and conceptually striking portfolio, making him an up-and-coming typographic artist to watch as his work continues to evolve and gain exposure over the coming years. 

Sawdust is the award-winning creative partnership of artists Rob Gonzalez and Jonathan Quainton, an independent design duo based in London, United Kingdom. Their specialties include custom typography, image-making, brand identity, and art direction across music, art, culture, fashion, and advertising sectors. Having earned a worldwide reputation for creating thoughtful, innovative, and meticulously crafted work, Sawdust has been recognized by numerous publications and organizations for their design excellence. 

BMD Design is a one-man hand lettering and illustration operation located in Bordeaux, France. Specializing in apparel graphics and logotype, BMD brings an old school French graphic style to his hand crafted and digitally adjusted designs, a rustic sensibility that is both vintage and very contemporary. His eye-catching artisanal work is in high demand, and his client list has grown to include an impressive array of companies and brands, including Levi's, Quiksilver, Audi, and Nike.  

Bridging the gap between typography, calligraphy, graffiti, and fine art, the work of Dutch artist Niels Shoe Meulman (also known as 'Shoe') is effectively a new art form for the twenty-first century, a contemporary expression of writing and design by hand in a predominantly digital age. Calling it 'Calligraffiti,' Meulman launched his cutting-edge art movement in 2007 with a successful solo exhibition in Amsterdam, and he has continued his success with various international exhibitions and museum acquisitions of his images.