Meet our new Artist of the Month... Keren Simlai. Based in Bangalore, India @calligraphy_by_keren is a B.Sc. Life Science student whose passion for calligraphy has grown since childhood. Read on to find out more about our Artist of the Month!
What is your background and when did your passion for Calligraphy and Lettering begin?
I am a B.Sc. Life Science student studying in Bangalore, India. My Instagram handle is calligraphy_by_keren. My passion for calligraphy began in 2015 when I was in grade 7 during an art class, but then I just used to do a little faux calligraphy and didn't know much about calligraphy. Being a child interested in art I started learning calligraphy by watching YouTube videos I kept on practising and really fell in love with what I did. When the pandemic hit in 2020 I took that time to improve my skills and started posting on Instagram and started teaching that was when my actual learning process began.
Who / Where do you take your inspiration from?
My biggest inspiration was definitely Becca aka the happy ever crafter, watching whose YouTube videos I learned Calligraphy. There were many other artists like Lalit Mourya sir and Zahid Akram sir who inspired me throughout my journey. Talking about now I take my inspiration from my surroundings (basically food, music, the season or just based on how I’m feeling ) and sometimes I do take inspiration from Pinterest.
What in your opinion is the hardest and the most rewarding parts of working in a creative industry?
Talking about the hardest part of working in the creative industry is not being valued for your talent and creativity and I'm sure others face the same problem however the best or the most rewarding part of the creative industry is finding a community of like-minded people and being able to express yourself through your art and for me personally the most rewarding part is watch my students grow.
Do you have a favourite style?
No, I don’t have a favourite style, I believe every style is beautiful and I actually enjoy every style.
What are the most exciting projects you have worked on and what are you working on at the moment?
The most exciting project for me which is also my current project is my collaboration with Manuscript. I just loved the products and it was an amazing process working with the company from where I purchased my first ever dip pen tools. So, it was definitely it was a dream come true.
How does your work relate to your everyday life?
Being a B.Sc. student as well as a calligrapher what I believe is both Science as well as calligraphy requires you to be patient and requires regular practice. For me personally doing calligraphy relaxes my mind and makes me feel positive about my surroundings.
What are your favourite tools to use?
Undoubtedly water-based brush pens are my favourite tools to work with just because of the vibrant colours and the easy to use design the pilot parallel pen has also been a go to tools for me when it comes to Broad edge calligraphy.
What would your advice be to people new to the creative industry and any tips on how to get started?
My advice to people new in the creative industry is to be consistent, the saying goes like practice makes a man perfect but my basketball coach once told me that perfect practice makes a man perfect so practice but make sure you have the appropriate materials and source. I would like to add to this by saying don't copy, you can take inspiration from here and there but don't copy. The creative industry is all about new ideas.
To see more of Keren's work you can follow her on Instagram. Remember to follow @manuscriptpenco on social media where we will be showcasing her work throughout the month.
