Monolita is a monospaced display typeface inspired by the colossal Coatlicue (koh-at-lee-kway) monolith, an Aztec (Mexica) deity, symbol of the earth as both creator and destroyer, mother of gods and mortals. ↗︎Visit microsite ↗︎Buy Monolita

As a kid, I spent many afternoons at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, where my aunt worked as an anthropologist. I would wander its corridors looking at artifacts, hieroglyphics, and statues of great significance, no object was as magnificent as the 10 ft. tall basalt monolith of Coatlicue.

The statue is meant to represent the complexity of this deity, there are two serpent heads where her human head should be, claws for hands, a necklace made of human hearts and hands, a skirt made of intertwined snakes and rattles, a human skull adorning her belt, talons, and feathers where her feet should be. This statue was discovered and buried on multiple occasions, always surrounded by mystery.

It is visually stunning, terrifying even, and one of the most powerful representations of the complex spirituality of the Aztecs (Mexica), so when I went looking for inspiration I wanted to highlight this emblem of Mexican culture.