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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]

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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​

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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

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Selected Talks 

Contact

Thank you for your email

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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