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Type. Design. Research.
Shani Avni is the Ismar David Visiting Assistant Curator at the RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection since 2020. She holds a BA in Graphic Design from Shenkar College, and an MA in Typeface Design from the University of Reading.
For her thesis she researched the David Hebrew typeface family and, since receiving her degree, continues to do so.
Avni designs, researches, teaches, consults, writes, and lectures on typography and type design.
She perseveres in her efforts to strengthen the connection between the academic and practical spheres through the accessibility of historical information.
Selected Publications
Curating Jewish Wood Type at the RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection
Printing History 36, 2025
Hebrew Monotype at The Bixler Press
and Letterfoundry
Dry Inc. 2024
Ismar David's visitors book design for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion, New York World's Fair 1939
NYPL Researcher Spotlight, 2022
Yosef Haim Brenner's "Ha-meorer"
Ha-meorer project, 2020 [Hebrew]
Ha-meorer: A Print Adventure, 2021 [Hebrew]
Hebrew Type Anatomy
TypeTogether, 2021
Ismar David’s quest for original Hebrew
typographic signs
Visible Language, Special Issue. Winner of
The 2019 Design Incubation Communication
Design Educators Awards
The important job of the left thumb
Alphabettes, 2017
Greetings from Ismar David
Alefalefalef, 2017 [Hebrew]
David Hebrew: the first multi-style Hebrew typeface family, academic dissertation
TypeCulture, 2016
Selected Talks
Contact
Header photos:
Rockford Hebrew Wood Type Collection, Cary
Graphic Arts Collection. Photos by: Jiageng Lin.
Ismar David papers, Cary Graphic Arts Collection
Ambersonius typeface by: Jawaher Alali, Shani Avni,
Zenab Bastawala, Lisa Dröes, Manuel von Gebhardi,
Calvin Kwok, Rob Pratley.
Hebrew & Latin Gozalle typeface by Shani Avni.
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