May I genuinely uncover.

The Name

Retega Vero is a quest expressed in Latin: may I genuinely uncover. Not to invent, but to draw something new out of texts that have long belonged to all of us — to hold a founding charter, an artifact, a scripture, a proof up to the light until it shows what was always inside it with new relevance.

The Work

My name is Derek Wade, and I developed this typographic portrait technique to spark rediscovery. Every piece in The Weight of Words is a dual-state artwork. Step close and it is a legible document — every word present, set letter by letter with the invitation to be read. Step back and the same letters resolve into a meaningful silhouette. There is exactly one solid color per character over a plain background. Nothing is drawn or faded over or around the words. The image is the words. It's about encouraging awe, connection and inspiration in taking a closer look.

The Practice

Each work begins with reading — curating and arranging texts and excerpts whose weight has shaped how we live — and ends at archival scale: prints large enough that the two states become a physical experience, an image with literary value and a document with artistic composition. It turns out, this is not a mobile-friendly artform, and until now I've needed physical prints to share this experience. This is my start to a digital museum, in hopes that this experience can travel.