Edinburgh Napier University

An Edinburgh Napier lecturer and recent graduate have had their work recognised after both were shortlisted in a prestigious competition that pays tribute to creativity in graphic design.

Lecturer Dr Niina Turtola and graduate Solange Lopes have had pieces of work selected for the 2025 Rosmarie Tissi MA-g Awards in graphic design.

The MA-g awards are hosted by the Museum of Avant-garde in Switzerland and celebrate outstanding creativity in graphic design, photography and illustration. Each year, the museum invites three renowned and visionary artists to serve as exclusive judges.

This year, the graphic design awards honour Rosmarie Tissi.

A pivotal figure in graphic design whose creations have been exhibited extensively, Rosmarie is described as one of the most influential designers of the 20^th century.

Dr Turtola’s shortlisted piece – a concrete, typewritten poem titled “-Air, Ilma-“ – was born out of time spent at the Royal College of Art last year, which was made possible by funding from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Arts and Creative Industries research budget.

Solange’s work – which was part of her major project that was recently exhibited at the University’s annual degree show – is entitled “A Volume of Babel” and uses detailed descriptions from Jorge Luis Borges’ Library of Babel – a piece of work that imagined a library where every possible book exists - to interpret what a single volume from this infinite library might have looked like.

As part of the shortlisting, both pieces are also set to find a home in the Museum of Avant-garde’s contemporary collection and will be featured both online and in future exhibitions.

Solange Lopes said: “It feels a little unreal to imagine my project sitting in conversation with both the masters of the avant-garde and today’s most interesting contemporary voices, many being designers I really look up to.

“To be recognised in this way, and especially alongside my BDes mentor Niina Turtola is such an honour. Niina’s encouragement has meant so much to me, and seeing her own typographic poem shortlisted for the same award makes this so much more special.

“The MA-g Awards are unique in that each year they are named after and judged by remarkable figures in art and design. This year, the graphic design award honours Rosmarie Tissi, who has been and continues to be such an inspiration.

“It is such a privilege to be included in this context, and I am deeply thankful to the Museum and jury for the opportunity.”

Dr Turtola said: “I embrace this shortlisting and the fact that the piece will be based in the museum and a future visit will take me to Switzerland to look at Sol’s work and my own amongst the avant-garde icons of graphic design. What more can I still ask?

“The fact that my conceptual concrete poem and the artist book of Sol will be based in Switzerland makes me extremely proud to be alive and to do what I do even beyond the classroom! This is really a once in a lifetime opportunity for participants to be judged by these living legends, such as Rosmarie Tissi.

“To see a student achieve such international recognition is truly wonderful and a proud moment for us all.

“In times such as these, it feels especially important to be reminded of the enduring value of arts and culture, and of the vital role we play in nurturing such creativity and talent.”

More details on the Awards can be found here and here.