Listen to Gruw’s music and you will sense his raw honesty, strength of character and intelligence.
He unabashedly speaks of his weakest, most challenging moments, and his struggles to move past them. When viewed as a whole, they convey his ongoing journey in self-acceptance and growth.
Kintsukuroi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing pottery with gold or silver, joining the fragments and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. Breakage and repair are considered part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. The logo I designed for Gruw is based on this concept.
Only once we truly make ourselves vulnerable can we look at the fragmented pieces of ourselves and make room for real growth. Destruction yields the time and space for reconstruction.
To create the fractures within the letterforms, I used a grid based on the theory of dynamic symmetry. This type of geometric symmetry is believed to have been applied in Classical Greek and Roman art, objects and architecture. It favours the creation of satisfying, harmonic subdivisions and combinations within forms.
I used grid twice, once horizontally, and once flipped vertically. I then selected certain intersections between the grid and the letterforms to break the form down into shapes that appear chaotic yet in balance with each other.
There lays a delicate beauty in facing our toughest emotions. Music has always been very therapeutic to me in this sense, and Gruw’s lyrics inspire me to be more accepting and honest with my own shortcomings and regrets.
Self-acceptance and self-care are some of the most powerful tools you can give yourself. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. After all, life is meant to be beautiful.
Musician and writer Gruw – Photo © bizarrethestrange
