Matemasie

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Set in Matemasie itself, from the preview the app ships.

MATEMASIE

Matemasie is an ultra-bold display typeface distinguished by rounded edges and top-weighted letterforms. It is inspired by the Adinkra symbol “Mate Masie,” meaning “what I hear, I keep” — embodying the importance of listening and communication in oral traditions. The typeface symbolizes the principles of communication, wisdom, knowledge, prudence, and connection.

The goal of the typeface is a celebration of African heritage while meeting contemporary design standards. Adinkra symbols express themes connected to the history, beliefs, and philosophy of the Asante people, often with proverbial meanings that signify wisdom. These symbols also describe historical events, human and animal behavior, plant forms, and object shapes.

Drawing on this Adinkra symbol, the design connects with Africa’s rich graphical heritage. The creation of Matemasie was a journey to craft a typeface that resonates with the spirit of Africa, drawing deeply from its roots.

The design process involved connecting the past and present, preserving the essence of African heritage for future generations. Matemasie celebrates the harmony between tradition and innovation, reflecting the balance embodied by the “Mate Masie” symbol.

Traditionally, the Mate Masie symbol is represented by four linked ears—two on top and two on the bottom. This 2-by-2 arrangement is a fundamental aspect of the symbol, signifying balance and rhythm, when it is presented in traditional designs. This rhythmic balance played a crucial role in developing the letterforms of the Matemasie font. By integrating this cultural structure into the digital design, Matemasie stays deeply connected to its cultural roots, preserving the essence of the symbol while adapting it for contemporary use.

The design process aimed to respect and reflect the traditional symbolism, allowing the modern typeface to serve as both a functional tool and a cultural tribute. The typeface captures both the artistic and spiritual essence of “Mate Masie” through its unique typographic features.

Matemasie is more than a collection of letters; it is a testament to the rich mosaic of African culture and tradition. Like the symbol that inspired it, Matemasie whispers stories of ancient wisdom and caution through its elegant curves. It is hoped that Matemasie’s story will continue to evolve with various styles, inspiring typographers to explore the depths of African culture and wisdom.

— Adam Yeo, on Google Fonts

Coming to the App Store

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License

This Font Software is licensed under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1.
This license is copied below, and is also available with a FAQ at:
https://openfontlicense.org

-----------------------------------------------------------
SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE Version 1.1 - 26 February 2007
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PREAMBLE
The goals of the Open Font License (OFL) are to stimulate worldwide
development of collaborative font projects, to support the font creation
efforts of academic and linguistic communities, and to provide a free and
open framework in which fonts may be shared and improved in partnership
with others.

The OFL allows the licensed fonts to be used, studied, modified and
redistributed freely as long as they are not sold by themselves. The
fonts, including any derivative works, can be bundled, embedded,
redistributed and/or sold with any software provided that any reserved
names are not used by derivative works. The fonts and derivatives,
however, cannot be released under any other type of license. The
requirement for fonts to remain under this license does not apply
to any document created using the fonts or their derivatives.

DEFINITIONS
"Font Software" refers to the set of files released by the Copyright
Holder(s) under this license and clearly marked as such. This may
include source files, build scripts and documentation.

"Reserved Font Name" refers to any names specified as such after the
copyright statement(s).

"Original Version" refers to the collection of Font Software components as
distributed by the Copyright Holder(s).

"Modified Version" refers to any derivative made by adding to, deleting,
or substituting -- in part or in whole -- any of the components of the
Original Version, by changing formats or by porting the Font Software to a
new environment.

"Author" refers to any designer, engineer, programmer, technical
writer or other person who contributed to the Font Software.

PERMISSION & CONDITIONS
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
a copy of the Font Software, to use, study, copy, merge, embed, modify,
redistribute, and sell modified and unmodified copies of the Font
Software, subject to the following conditions:

1) Neither the Font Software nor any of its individual components,
in Original or Modified Versions, may be sold by itself.

2) Original or Modified Versions of the Font Software may be bundled,
redistributed and/or sold with any software, provided that each copy
contains the above copyright notice and this license. These can be
included either as stand-alone text files, human-readable headers or
in the appropriate machine-readable metadata fields within text or
binary files as long as those fields can be easily viewed by the user.

3) No Modified Version of the Font Software may use the Reserved Font
Name(s) unless explicit written permission is granted by the corresponding
Copyright Holder. This restriction only applies to the primary font name as
presented to the users.

4) The name(s) of the Copyright Holder(s) or the Author(s) of the Font
Software shall not be used to promote, endorse or advertise any
Modified Version, except to acknowledge the contribution(s) of the
Copyright Holder(s) and the Author(s) or with their explicit written
permission.

5) The Font Software, modified or unmodified, in part or in whole,
must be distributed entirely under this license, and must not be
distributed under any other license. The requirement for fonts to
remain under this license does not apply to any document created
using the Font Software.

TERMINATION
This license becomes null and void if any of the above conditions are
not met.

DISCLAIMER
THE FONT SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT
OF COPYRIGHT, PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR OTHER RIGHT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
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INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
FROM, OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE FONT SOFTWARE OR FROM
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Matemasie

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