Clara Istlerov A Life Among Letters

The first publication in English on the career of Czech graphic designer and typographer Clara Istlerová

Clara Istlerová (born 1944) was one of few female designers in the male-dominated field of Czech typography. Born into an artistic family, she studied under František Muzika at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. Working entirely in analog processes, she created the design for one of the most influential books on Czech architecture, Švácha, Rostislav: From Modernity to Functionalism (1985). Offering a vivid portrayal of an era where design was a tangible, labor-intensive endeavor carried out in close collaboration with typesetters and printers, A Life Among Letters unveils the artistic landscape of former Czechoslovakia through the lens of a trailblazing designer. It features an intimate interview with Istlerová conducted by Anežka Minaríková, accompanied by work from Istlerová’s personal archive and a description of her creative process in her own words.