Tristan Bartolini
Tristan Bartolini is a Geneva-based graphic designer and typographer, alumnus of the Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD). His work lies at the intersection of visual culture, social engagement, and typographic innovation.
In 2020, he was awarded the Prix Art Humanité by the Geneva Red Cross for his diploma project: a groundbreaking gender-inclusive typeface composed of over 40 non-binary typographic signs. These original characters were designed to replace gendered morphological endings, pronouns, and other binary elements in written French—without resorting to punctuation gymnastics like “-e·s” or “(e)s”.
Merging design with activism, Bartolini’s project addresses both the aesthetics and politics of language, challenging traditional norms in written communication and proposing a systematic, elegant alternative for inclusive writing. His innovative glyphs—such as fused versions of il/elle, le/la, or homme/femme—invite users to rethink binary language structures, offering a new graphic vocabulary for representing gender fluidity.
More than a typographic feat, his system serves as a tool for visual and social transformation, questioning how language encodes power and identity.
«Je cherchais un thème d’étude au service d’une cause, en accord avec mes engagements et convictions». – Tristan Bartolini
Read more about the artist and the exhibition here.
