iJusi Graphics

Towards a New Visual Language

In 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected as the first president of a united democratic South Africa, ending 46 years of Apartheid. The so-called Rainbow Nation had a new beginning. That same year, graphic designer Garth Walker became interested in exploring the idea of “what makes me South African, and what does that look like”? For some time Walker had been collecting and archiving ‘street art’ from cities and townships throughout South Africa. The archive is now likely the largest and most comprehensive known. And so, the idea of a print magazine was born.

In 1995 the first issue of an experimental graphics magazine was published in a limited print run of 300 copies. iJusi quickly developed a cult following worldwide as a platform for creatives and design students to explore their own thoughts on a ‘new way of seeing the culture that surrounds us’. The print magazine is now 34 issues strong (and counting). Each themed issue is unique and subjects covered range from porn to Mandela, the mythical African typeface to tattoo art, death to human rights, and found photos, to Jacob Zuma and the Covid pandemic.

See selected spreads from all the issues here:  www.ijusi.com