Dancing with letters

Penwoman Barbara Calzolari on the challenges of learning calligraphy before the Instagram age and why the handwritten word is being revived

Watching the Italian penwoman Barbara Calzolari at work is like witnessing a tightly choreographed dance sequence. With lithe movements of the nib held in the flange of an oblique calligraphy pen, she creates a rhythm of thin, slant strokes. Calzolari connects them with crisp swirls to the tune of an Italian song playing in the background. And before you know it, the letters ‘P’, ‘R’ and ‘B’ have liven up the blank page.

Pen maestro

“My mother would say that I’m too fat to be a dancer. But I can dance with these letters,” laughs Calzolari, 56, who is the first woman in Europe and among only 12 individuals in the world to hold the title of ‘Master Penman’. She was awarded in 2015 by the International Association of Master Penman, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH), the oldest and largest penmanship organisation in the United States. Visiting Mumbai for the first time, Calzolari will participate in ‘The Ink Tank’, a panel discussion on calligraphy and lettering’s commercial application and future. The panelists include master calligrapher Achyut Palav, typographer Chandan Mahimkar and Sanjana Chatlani, founder of The Bombay Lettering Company, who learnt from the artist and has flown her in to conduct workshops too.

Reviving traditions

“Around the world, there’s a revival in the interest of calligraphy. I’m seeing that in India too,” says Calzolari, highlighting the diverse audience that’s part of her workshops – from 18 to 54-year-olds from Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jaipur and Rajkot. “It’s because calligraphy is the easiest form of expression through art. We don’t have time to use our hands for things that require a lot of effort, like, building a house from scratch or embroidery. Calligraphy also offers a personalised touch that even commercial brands want today.” She connects calligraphy with the mind. “If you write in block letters, your thoughts will feel blocked and if you write in cursive, you’ll find coherence in your thoughts too.”

Practising this art for three decades, Calzolari has worked for Pope Benedict XVI; made copies of the Italian-born queen of France Catherine de’ Medici’s book of letters “written in archaic Italian, French and Latin”, and also designed copies of the national anthems that were presented as souvenirs by the prime minister of Italy to the assembled leaders at the G8 summit in 2009.

“Russian and Japanese anthems were challenging to write because the alphabets were totally different,” she says. “I received interesting questions from the guests. German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked me the name of the ink.”

Passion for words

Bologna-born Calzolari started her career as a designer in the fashion industry. Her interest in calligraphy sparked from copying English poems in books to learn the language because, “It was important for designers to know English. So, I started thinking about how poets must have written them originally.” Later, she quit her job to pursue her passion. “I learnt calligraphy before the age of Instagram [where you can post and get feedback]. So, I would often doubt myself,” she says.

Calzolari specialises in the European Copperplate style of calligraphy and the American Spencerian script, which was widely used for official correspondence in the US in the 19th century. The difference lies in the thickness and shading. She learnt Spencerian under the guidance of American expert Michael Sull. A Master Penman himself, he encouraged her to attain the title. For that, the inductee needed to produce their own certificate as proof of ability. Calzolari used eight scripts on her certificate and received a unanimous vote of approval from the other title holders. “I feel honoured but a certificate alone isn’t enough. It’s what you do every day that matters. You fight with the paper every day and wonder, ‘Will it follow what I have in mind today?’,” she says.

The Ink Tank, January 31, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Yiamas: The Experimental Space. For registration, log on to bombaylettering.com