As a part of her work, Oslislo organised the Ala Ma Font(a) [trans. Ala Has a Font] series of typographic workshops, as well as the Ala Ma Pióro [trans. Ala Has a Quill] calligraphic workshops. These became the basis for Fajrant [trans. Job Done!], a publication documenting the workshops. It included texts by invited guests, as well as twenty different fonts designed by the people attending the project. The book, printed using only two colours which were sometimes mixed to create a third, became an instant hit and received numerous awards, among others, for the Most Beautiful Book 2012, as well as a nomination in the Śląska Rzecz competition.
She also took part in creating Silesian Design Icons, a book wherein authors explore the Silesian design trends of the 20th century. The book featured 10 chapters, each about a different icon of design. It was heavily influenced by Oslislo’s choices concerning the graphical layout. The 10 icons are presented using pictograms engraved in the cover, and references are highlighted with a yellow overlay. Furthermore, the descriptions of the designers are in bold. The whole colour scheme boils down to white, black, and yellow, which only strengthens the book’s idea. She used the same colours in her calendars for Design Silesia, connecting minimalistic design with high quality materials, and enclosed them in PVC casing. The calendars themselves are printed on ecologically friendly paper.
She has also designed some projects for a younger audience. Nasza przestrzeń [trans. Our Space] is a booklet for kids between 6 and 12, which engages them in various interesting drawing games. The premise is quite a daring one, as she works only in black and white, leaving children completely free to choose the palette.
Selected exhibitions and awards:
- Certificate of Typographic Excellence in the 59th TDC (Type Directors Club) competition, in the Communication Design category for Fajrant
- Prize at the 53rd competition of Polish Association of Book Publishers – The Most Beautiful Book 2012 in the Workbook category for Fajrant – 2012
- Distinction at the 53rd competition of Polish Association of Book Publishers – The Most Beautiful Book 2012 in the Album category for Czyste niebo cały dzień – Marian Oslislo – 2012
- Nominee at the 2012 Śląska Rzecz competition for Fajrant and Lapikon, and Nasza Przestrzeń
- Nominee at the 2012 Śląska Rzecz competition for Wniosek Katowic w konkursie o tytuł Europejskiej Stolicy Kultury 2016 [trans. Katowice’s submission for European Capital of Culture 2016.
Originally written in Polish by Agata Morka, translated by AS, April 2017.