Olympic Pictograms

The pictogram concept covers 12 Olympic sporting events. The pictograms were inspired by the earliest art forms and writings of core tribes within Nigeria. The rounded, bud-like hairstyle makes references to the Nok art of the Benin. The athlete’s silhouette and slender strokes recall the writing styles of Arabic and Ajami, which were predominant in northern Nigeria. Finally, the strong poses and large limbs pay homage to the form and strength of the warriors of the Igbo tribe in the East.

An Olympic event had never been held in an African country, so a pictogram system that captured the essence of an African nation, which is an amalgamation of different people, was explored. It would need to be diverse and work for multiple mediums and on multiple scales. Languages have barriers that symbols transcend. For a global event such as the Olympics, universal symbols are needed to communicate vital information to attendees from different backgrounds who speak different languages.