City calligrapher revives the art of handwritten letters

Remember the times when we used to sit down to handwrite letters, which was the only heartfelt way of reaching our pen pals and friends residing miles away, as telephone calls were too expensive? The colourful envelopes, stamps and the wait time to get a response to the letter — these are some of the things the current days’ gen Z (those born from mid 1990s to 2000s) never had an opportunity to do, thanks to the technology boom over the past two decades. Realising the old world charm and the joy that a handwritten letter could hold and deliver, Chennai-based artist Yakshi Chouhan has been striving to bring them back.

“It was during last year, when I was in my final year of Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA), I was exploring career options. I was unsure whether I should get into the corporate world or find a passion of my own. That was when I came across calligraphy techniques through social media. I began with practising brush lettering (modern form of calligraphy) and then gradually tried traditional calligraphy that uses copperplate nibs and inks. I absolutely fell in love with the process of learning, which I was documenting on Instagram. Over time, I had a few people asking if I could pen letters for them, making me realise its potential,” recalls 21-year-old Yakshi, in a conversation with DT Next.

The young artist now crafts love letters, handwritten notes for parents and friends — on behalf of people, who want them to be delivered to their loved ones. She not only writes the letters in a very attractive font, but also mails them in envelopes that are closed using wax seals. “Even though we live in a digital world, which has such little time for handwritten notes, people still believe in the value that a letter drafted by hand has. Anything created by hand stands out in the current day. There is a need to bring back the art of handwritten letters, for their personal touch and the happiness they can give the one receiving it,” asserts Yakshi, who uses a special Japanese Sumi ink and copperplate nibs for her calligraphy.

Even during her school days, Yakshi recalls creating handmade cards for her friends and family for any festival or celebratory occasion. The calligrapher, however, says she found it hard to find resources in our country to learn the visual art form. Over the past year, she has been taking up several online courses from calligraphy experts in other countries to perfect her skills. “The community of calligraphers in Chennai is rather small. It will definitely be helpful to have more artists helping each other out in learning the craft. But, the response to my work has been so overwhelming, and I am now considering working on creating a line of stationery and cards containing my handwritten notes. I have grown confident that I can be rely on my handwriting skills to be financially independent,” she adds.