Martin Luther King and public speaking are almost synonymous with one another. King’s profound prose moved a nation and started a fire against racism that still burns today. One can hardly imagine a history textbook existing without his words gracing the pages. It seems appropriate that Motion Graphic Designer Alex Verlan of Versa Studios in Ukraine decided to use typography when creating a portrait of this legend.

Using the words from Martin Luther King’s Drum Major Instinct speech, Verlan creates moving text that is beautifully timed with the audio of the speech. It is the little things in this video – the heart pulsating, the words curling around one another and the text extending beyond itself – that make it truly magical. To conclude, the words are weaved into a portrait of Martin Luther King’s face; the result of what was obviously a painstakingly lengthy process.

This awe-inspiring video is everything I believe a portrait should be, an accurate, worthy and poignant depiction of someone worthy. It’s a far cry from the walls of the Archibald but, in my mind at least, worthy of accolades.

Martin Luther King (kinetic typography) from versa on Vimeo.

Tweet

If you enjoyed this feature, you may want to Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter for our latest style updates, giveaways and other juicy stuff.

Join us on:

Featured Contributor: Chloe Schneider

Discover More Stylish features below:

• Teddy King of Boundless NY
• The King of Legoland video
• Aston Martin Cygnet
• Video: The House of Marley + 1Love Charity Movement