diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index ac76661..d8303e8 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ extern crate gtk_sys;
 extern crate gio;
 extern crate gdk;
 extern crate gdk_sys;
+#[macro_use]
 extern crate glib;
+extern crate glib_sys as glib_ffi;
 extern crate cairo;
 extern crate pango;
+extern crate pango_sys;
 extern crate pangocairo;
 extern crate neovim_lib;
 extern crate phf;
@@ -19,12 +22,15 @@ extern crate serde_derive;
 extern crate serde;
 extern crate toml;
 
+mod sys;
+
 mod value;
 mod mode;
 mod ui_model;
 #[macro_use]
 mod ui;
 mod nvim;
+mod render;
 mod shell;
 mod input;
 mod settings;
diff --git a/src/render/mod.rs b/src/render/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ed4ea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/render/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+use sys::pango::*;
+use pango;
+use cairo;
+use pangocairo::CairoContextExt;
+use std::ffi::CString;
+
+pub fn render(ctx: &cairo::Context) {
+   let pango_context = ctx.create_pango_context();
+   let text = "TEST String".to_owned().into_bytes();
+   let len = text.len();
+   let text = CString::new(text).unwrap();
+   let attr_list = pango::AttrList::new();
+
+   let items = pango_itemize(&pango_context, &text, 0, len, &attr_list);
+   for item in items {
+       let mut glyphs = pango::GlyphString::new();
+       pango_shape(&text, len, item.analysis(), &mut glyphs);
+   }
+}
diff --git a/src/shell.rs b/src/shell.rs
index 1f87a20..97e443a 100644
--- a/src/shell.rs
+++ b/src/shell.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ use popup_menu::PopupMenu;
 use tabline::Tabline;
 use error;
 use mode;
+use render;
 
 const DEFAULT_FONT_NAME: &str = "DejaVu Sans Mono 12";
 pub const MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_NVIM_VERSION: &str = "0.2";
@@ -592,6 +593,7 @@ fn update_line_metrics(state_arc: &Arc<UiMutex<State>>, ctx: &cairo::Context) {
 }
 
 fn gtk_draw(state_arc: &Arc<UiMutex<State>>, ctx: &cairo::Context) -> Inhibit {
+    render::render(ctx);
     update_line_metrics(state_arc, ctx);
 
     if state_arc.borrow_mut().request_nvim_resize {
diff --git a/src/sys/mod.rs b/src/sys/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aefcb94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sys/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+
+pub mod pango;
diff --git a/src/sys/pango/item.rs b/src/sys/pango/item.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..497e787
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sys/pango/item.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+use std::ptr;
+use std::mem;
+
+use pango_sys;
+
+use glib_ffi;
+use glib::translate::*;
+
+glib_wrapper! {
+    pub struct Item(Boxed<pango_sys::PangoItem>);
+
+    match fn {
+        copy => |ptr| pango_sys::pango_item_copy(ptr as *mut pango_sys::PangoItem),
+        free => |ptr| pango_sys::pango_item_free(ptr),
+    }
+}
+
+impl Item {
+    pub fn analysis(&self) -> &pango_sys::PangoAnalysis {
+        &self.0.analysis
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/sys/pango/mod.rs b/src/sys/pango/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c12b170
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sys/pango/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+mod item;
+
+use std::ptr;
+use std::ffi::CStr;
+
+use pango;
+use pango_sys;
+
+use glib::translate::*;
+
+pub fn pango_itemize(
+    context: &pango::Context,
+    text: &CStr,
+    start_index: usize,
+    length: usize,
+    attrs: &pango::AttrList,
+) -> Vec<item::Item> {
+    unsafe {
+        FromGlibPtrContainer::from_glib_container(pango_sys::pango_itemize(
+            context.to_glib_none().0,
+            text.as_ptr(),
+            start_index as i32,
+            length as i32,
+            attrs.to_glib_none().0,
+            ptr::null_mut(),
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn pango_shape(
+    text: &CStr,
+    length: usize,
+    analysis: &pango_sys::PangoAnalysis,
+    glyphs: &mut pango::GlyphString,
+) {
+    unsafe {
+        pango_sys::pango_shape(
+            text.as_ptr(),
+            length as i32,
+            analysis as *const pango_sys::PangoAnalysis,
+            glyphs.to_glib_none_mut().0,
+        );
+    }
+}