Circe
Seven italic styles for Alexandra Korolkova's geometric sans, drawn in Latin and Cyrillic.
A new italic dimension for Circe
My contribution: in 2018, I developed the seven italic styles for Circe in collaboration with Alexandra Korolkova, the author of the original typeface. The published credits identify me as Maria Kharlamova (Selezeneva).
Circe is a geometric sans serif with humanist qualities, originally designed by Alexandra Korolkova and released by ParaType in 2011. Its clean construction is balanced by an unusually expressive character set: alternate forms, swashes and decorative variants allow the family to move between neutral text typography and distinctive headlines, identities and posters.
From upright family to a complete typographic system
The 2018 expansion introduced a corresponding true italic for every upright weight, from Thin to Extra Bold. My work focused on giving the italics an independent rhythm and recognisable construction while preserving Circe’s proportions, weight progression and balance between geometry and humanist detail. The result provides clear emphasis and movement without separating the italic voice from the larger family.
Fourteen styles, multiple personalities
Circe now comprises seven upright and seven italic styles. Its broad weight range supports both continuous reading and large-scale display use, while extensive Latin and Cyrillic coverage makes the family suitable for multilingual editorial and identity systems. Stylistic alternates and swash variants allow the same underlying design to shift from restrained to decorative.
Recognition
The original Circe design received third prize — commonly presented as Bronze — in the Cyrillic Text Typefaces category at GRANSHAN 2011. This recognition predates the 2018 italic expansion and belongs to the original family designed by Alexandra Korolkova.