Bobby Haiqalsyah

Part of

The Hatch

Bobby Haiqalsyah describes himself as a pixel pusher, a typochondriac, a retired head chef, and a Silat practitioner. He started exploring type and lettering throughout tertiary education, where he studied different lettering systems and how they were affected by geography.

His style is sometimes ornamental, sometimes minimalist, and is informed by those geographical concerns, whether the elaborate art of South East Asia or the cold climate minimalism of Switzerland and Germany. He is fond of Victorian art and lettering, the Art Nouveau movement, and things that have a romantic and enchanting feel to them.

Name:

Bobby Haiqalsyah (Pronounced Hi-Cull-Shuh, or 'high culture' – which are the closest two words in the english language.)

Place of Birth:

Jakarta, Indonesia.

Currently Living in:

Melbourne, Australia.

Train, bus, bike, or other:

Anything I can sleep in while traveling really, but I love a bike ride.

What's the most important object in your studio?

Other than Gonzo the laptop, it would be my two mechanical pencils – one with a light blue lead for soft sketches and a black lead one to do the drawings. It's a trick that comic artists use when they draw – the reason being that the blue lead doesn't scan very well.

Paper or Plastic?

Paper please.

If you could resurrect one no longer living person to have lunch with, knowing you will have to return them to the grave right after coffee, who would it be?

It would probably be my late grandfather. I would love to finally meet the man.

Preferred method of dealing with an encounter with an acquaintance whose name you can't remember.

"Hey! how are things?" (And let them talk with hope their name would reveal itself throughout the conversation.)

Why don't you flip the tortoise over, Leon?

He or she wouldn't do that to me.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Que?

Favourite client so far?

A media company I worked for had a music channel of their own, and I had to design the logos for all the shows. I ended up Art Directing all the motion and the station ID for the channel along with the two motion designers that was working with us. It was 14 shows and we had 2-3 weeks to do it, so the quality was hit and miss, but I enjoyed the challenge and the process. At the moment what I'm enjoying is the Dead Words Project, which is a project founded by Karen To in the States, where we bring words that are no longer in the English vocabulary back to life with lettering. It's a good platform for me to explore different styles of lettering to illustrate the meaning of the word, and I enjoy it immensely.

Favourite imaginary client?

Character design for a Japanese game company. I used to have many of these sketchbooks full of those designs in high school!

How does your mother describe your profession?

"He does typography."

Coffee or tea?

Coffee – white with 2 please… No coffee? Tea, no sugar thanks.

What's your earliest drawing memory?

Depending on who you ask: the earliest according to my Aunt was a green blob that I smeared on paper. She asked me what it was and I replied "Crocodile!". Also Mum always tells this story though about me watching Disney on Ice when I was little, and I saw a cool robot character that I really wanted to draw. So Mum and Dad produced a pen and a piece of paper out of somewhere, and I drew only half of it in the dim light. Mum asked, "Why half?" I replied, "Well obviously the other half looks the same, I'll finish it at home." I think she was very impressed with that logic.

How do you prefer to spend your mornings?

Wake up, check my phone, make a french toast cheese sandwich with strawberry jam, black coffee, and then the day begins...