As part of the Herb Lubalin Lecture Series Anežka Minaříková gives a talk on the making of Clara Istlerová: A Life Among Letters (Inventory Press, 2025), the first English-language publication dedicated to Czech graphic designer Clara Istlerová (b. 1944). A pioneering figure in Czech graphic design, Istlerová is celebrated for her distinctive book covers, calligraphy, and expressive use of type that helped shape the visual culture of postwar Czechoslovakia. 

Registration is required here.

At the heart of the book is a candid conversation between Istlerová and Minaříková, unfolding across decades of cultural and political transformation. With contributions from design historian Jan Rous and graphic designer Zuzana Lednická, and featuring rare archival material, the book offers an intimate portrait of a woman whose work quietly defined an era. In this talk, Minaříková will share the process of bringing the book to life—from her first encounters with Istlerová’s work to the interviews, archival research, and editorial design. The result is not only a tribute to Istlerová’s lasting contributions to the field, but also a broader meditation on design as a cultural and collaborative practice. 

Anežka Minaříková (b. 1993, Prague) is a Czech graphic designer and visual artist based in New York. Her work explores the edges of graphic design through experiments with typography, storytelling, technology, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. She is the author of Clara Istlerová: A Life Among Letters (Inventory Press, 2025) and editor of Mysterious Letters (Letter Books, 2023), a collection of essays and interviews on the Voynich Manuscript. Minaříková holds a B.A. from the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague and an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Art. From 2022 to 2024, she was a resident at Google Creative Lab. She recently co-founded an independent design studio with her husband and creative partner, Marek Nedelka.