Sadhika Gupta’s first shot at calligraphy was not in any art room or design course, but on the back of newspapers in coaching classes.
"Six years ago, brush calligraphy was getting popular in the west and I came across a short video on Instagram. This was the same time I was preparing for the civil services and so, I began doodling as a way of destressing from the studies. However, back then, I had no plans of doing this full-time,” says the Delhi-based calligrapher.
It was after her first prelims in 2016 -- which she had little hopes of passing -- that Gupta decided to turn her attention to the art instead, eventually creating her Instagram handle @DelhiDoodler08 to keep track of her progress and maintain regularity. Six years and 38,000 followers later, it’s safe to say that she found her calling.
Gupta has worked with major labels such as Jimmy Choo, Bottega Veneta, Google, Cartier, Louboutin and more.
"Personalisation is where the true commercial scope of calligraphy lies. I have done handwritten notes for special days such as Valentine’s Day or Diwali, candles for Jimmy Choo, engravings for Dior, Hermes, Nykaa, wedding cards, frames, perfumes and other articles. They could be freebies or as value add-ons to enhance the experience," she says.
She also writes poems for clients and conducts workshops, in which she engages participants in brush and pointed pen calligraphy, traditional copperplate style, Devnagri scripts and even unique digital tablet lettering, which she mentions is a game-changer as it saves time, allows room for error and lets you give character to the letters. Her online workshops welcome people from Lebanon, Dubai, the UK and beyond.
What’s the future of calligraphy in India? “Due to the pandemic, many people pursued creative interests and there was a huge growth in those who took to calligraphy. The number is still small; it is a niche interest but the scope is immense,” she remarks, adding that the personalisation that calligraphy offers is a welcome by businesses. “Let’s say that you are buying perfume and have several options, but if one or two brands are willing to engrave something on the bottles for free, you will choose them over the others,” she explains.
However, since it is a largely unorganised sector and most calligraphers work as freelancers, one needs to know how to be on their toes and learn the ropes of the business to create a healthy working environment, cautions Gupta. “You don’t have a nine-to-five job so it becomes difficult to create a nice work-life balance. You have to form that for yourself. One has to be disciplined,” she adds. True, in letter and spirit.
The art’s forms:
Pen calligraphy: Calligraphy using a pen or ink brush
Copperplate style: Known as English Roundhand; uses sharp pointed nib
Devnagri scripts: Developed in ancient India for many languages, including Hindi
Digital tablet lettering: Using tablets to create letters for digital modern calligraphy