ISSUE: 137
A qualified engineer, Avinash Kharat decided to make a living by pursuing his passion for letters instead
How did your tryst with calligraphy begin?
AK: My journey began 15 years ago, in my hometown of Kolhapur, in Maharashtra. One day, at a gym, I saw a man using the Gothic script to hold the attention of a small knot of people. Fascinated with the aesthetics of calligraphy and the symmetry between the letters in the scripts I began to practice in the Gothic and Roman styles, and later moved on to Italics and Devanagari. After keeping at it for five years, I switched to the Copperplate and flourishing styles, which involve the use of pointed pens and writing at a 55-degree angle. I struggled quite a lot with this new script but my mentors, Prof. Sashikant Pendse and Manish Soni helped me to find my way.
How does social media influence the way you work?
AK: Social media does help a lot. The increasing number of followers motivates me to post my work; this increases visibility and brings my work to the attention of brands. Social media definitely helps spread awareness of your work across the world. It helps bring me new projects.
What are you currently working on?
AK: I am working on a new Google collaboration, and some foiling commission works for corporate diaries. I am also working with MOJ India App as a content creator, and planning my first physical workshop after the pandemic in Bangalore.
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