Calligraphy is emerging in India: Simran Sharma
In spite of reliance on technology and the mechanistic perfection it creates, people still do appreciate the art of handwritten raw scripts and the little imperfections it offers. Brush Pens gliding on paper, or ink swaying with nibs, watching letters come alive rather than being typed is just something therapeutic & heartfelt.
‘Midnight Scribbler’ is the online journal and creative escape of Simran Sharma, and not just her instagram account. She is a Calligraphy, Engraving artist and instructor based out of Delhi. She makes words come alive in form of love letters, preserves memories and moments, curates personalised handcrafted gifts and invites, engraves on every surface possible and teaches these skills too!
Calligraphy in India is emerging. We now see brands collaborating to customise their products but not with machines, instead with the human touch of a calligrapher.
Simran says “What began as scribbling at midnight, turned into a side hustle, now is a full-time small business and art-venture.” A forensics postgraduate and PhD aspirant turned artist; Simran says it was never on the cards.
“I love Calligraphy. Its meditative and comforting. People’s appreciation for my work is just an added bonus. It took 7 years of consistent practice and hard work to achieve these skills and I strive to upgrade further. My favourite jobs are those which involve teaching fellow creatives this age old artform and working On-Site where I get to interact and see live reactions of clients and customers. When people acknowledge what I do and say its brave of me to pursue something unconventional, I tell them I am just trying to keep the little girl inside of me dreaming and making art for a living. I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to send a handwritten letter to MS Dhoni and work for Google India on one of their projects.”
From addressing envelopes to designing wedding invites centred around calligraphy, on-site events to teaching, personalising artworks to engraving - the possibilities of experimenting with and implementing calligraphy in daily life is endless. Engraving means to etch on a product permanently. Be it a perfume personalised with name of your loved one or a pair of champagne glasses etched with couple’s wedding date, a calligrapher adds personal charm to any product and increases its face value.
Calligraphy is truly a delicate skill in this world of mechanization. It’s the training of both hand and eye. The process is as enchanting as the end result. Calligraphed words have harmony, glimpses of ancestry (with modern touch added by calligrapher) and rhythm. Letters seem like they are dancing!
Calligraphy communicates with the reader on a creative level and evokes reactions similar to looking at a beautiful painting.