Juho Hiilivirta

Letters carved in the snow turn the icy landscape into a canvas. The surroundings frame and interact with the letters. Snow becomes both a surface and a storyteller. Light, shadow, snow, wind, and a rabbit take their role in the composition.

In snow, nothing lasts. That’s what makes the act of carving meaningful. When the snow melts, the form is gone. I wanted to document and design the full character set – or at least the minimum number of letters needed.

I designed letters that are easy to carve with a saw and rope. Each letter is nearly two meters tall. Grid based letters are structured and strong. They hold their form in the snow. Working on them is delicate because a single misstep can break the letter or the untouched snow.

This project brings words into nature. The landscape shifts, and the letters disappear – until they are carved again.

While working with the rope and saw, I didn’t think these forms would ever evolve into anything beyond the snow. They were inspirations, temporary, tied to the moment. And yet, they found new places to exist.

I have used this concept font as a foundation for few projects. It appears in books, posters, clothes, wall signs, online and in many print materials. The font has been adjusted when needed to better suit each context.

Typeface: Skeleton
Designer: Juho Hiilivirta
Year: 2018-2020