A Typographic History of the Sri Lankan Political Conflict

A research paper examining the role of typography and visual language in shaping and reflecting the ethnic and political conflict in Sri Lanka from the mid-20th century onwards.

Premise

Typography is never neutral. In a society where the same geographic space is contested by communities writing in two visually distinct scripts — Sinhala and Tamil — choices about which scripts appear in public space, on official documents, and in media carry profound political weight.

Research Areas

• The Official Language Act of 1956 and its typographic consequences for Tamil script in public life
• How Sinhala typography was deployed as a marker of national identity in post-independence Ceylon
• The parallel visual cultures of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan state
• The typography of propaganda, official documents, and civil conflict

Relevance

This research sits at the intersection of design history, political history, and typography. It argues that understanding the Sri Lankan conflict requires attending to its visual dimensions — and that graphic designers have a responsibility to understand how their tools are entangled in politics.