KaChaTaThaPa
Speakers
Abhishek Vardhan Singh
Abhishek Vardhan Singh is an interdisciplinary calligrapher, researcher, and academician whose practice explores the confluence of letterforms, culture, and history. As the Founder and Executive Director of The Calligraphy Foundation, he has played a pioneering role in establishing calligraphy as both a refined visual art and an academic discipline in India. With a strong grounding in the historical and aesthetic dimensions of writing, his research foregrounds the scriptural heritage of the subcontinent.
He has taught and mentored at prestigious institutions including Banaras Hindu University, Delhi University, and the National Institute of Fashion Technology, nurturing a growing community of calligraphy practitioners and scholars. His work bridges classical traditions with contemporary expressions, reflecting a deep commitment to preserving and reimagining the written form as a vessel of cultural identity and creative exploration.
Ameer Faisal
Ameer Faisal is a distinguished Arabic, English, Tamil, and Sinhala Calligrapher, with over 30 years of dedicated service and experience in the Printing Industry and the art of Calligraphy.
He is the Founder of An Nooriyya Academy of Calligraphy, Colombo, Sri Lanka, recognized as the first dedicated Calligraphy Academy in Sri Lanka. With a lifelong passion for lettering, design, and artistic expression, he has contributed extensively to both the printing profession and the preservation and promotion of calligraphy.
Through his Academy, Ameer Faisal continues to share his knowledge and experience, inspiring and training a new generation of calligraphers while promoting the beauty of Arabic, English, Tamil, and Sinhala calligraphy.
Ashok Parab
Ashok Gopal Parab is an accomplished Advertising Professional, Visual Communication Designer, Educator, and Founder–Director of Ashok Lipishala. A graduate of Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Arts, Mumbai, with a Master’s in Fine Arts from NIMS University, Jaipur, he brings over 36 years of expertise in advertising and communication design, creating impactful work for leading agencies and prestigious brands.
Honored with many national and international awards, Ashok is also a passionate educator who conducts lectures and workshops across India. His lifelong fascination with Indian scripts inspired a Bharat Darshan—a journey across states to study their diversity. This quest gave birth to Ashok Lipishala, a unique platform where calligraphy meets history, allowing learners to experience India’s vast script heritage through contemporary expression.
D Udayakumar
Dr D. Udaya Kumar is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Design, at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India.
He is the designer of the Indian Rupee Symbol.
He has a PhD and Master’s degree in Design (Visual communication) from Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, Chennai. Before joining his PhD, he worked in a monthly magazine – Intelligent Computing CHIP for a renowned publishing house in Mumbai.
His areas of interest include Visual Communication, Design Research and Architecture.
Dilbag Singh
Dilbag Singh is a Design Consultant and Educator with over a decade of experience across design education and practice. He has taught, conducted workshops, and served on juries at various design institutes. Beginning his journey in Fashion Design, his early interest in language and letterforms grew into a deeper practice in typography and calligraphy. His work spans visual communication, calligraphy, illustration, lettering, branding, and bringing together craft, experimentation, and cultural memory.
G V Sreekumar
G. V. Sreekumar is a Professor of IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay. His areas of specialization are Typography, Publication Design, Information Design, Anatomy and Figure Drawing and Design Pedagogy.
He was an Art Director, Cartoonist, Calligrapher, Illustrator and Infographics designer before joining IIT Bombay as a professor. He has worked for several publications including the popular computer magazine “CHIP”, Intelligent Investor, The Times of India Group and Indian Express and Jasubhai Digital Media. Since 2000 he has been a faculty member at IDC, and IIT Bombay as well as a Design Consultant with many publications.
He is a visiting faculty member at several institutes including the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S.University, Vadodara; National Institute of Design (NID), MIT Pune; IIIT Jabalpur and IIT Guwahati. In addition, he is a member of the Text Book Committee, NCERT, Government of India.
Gopal Patel
Gopal Patel a well known calligrapher in Gujrat, is a Diploma in Applied art, Jewelry designing & Art teacher training. He has been teaching for over 24 years and has practicing over 7 different scripts, mastering the Gujarati script and specializing in its variations physically and digitally both.
He also has conducts sessions and Demonstrations for Calligraphy in Gujrat and many other parts of India in various organizations, institutes, academies and art schools and colleges like Unison Word School Dehradun, Callifest (Mumbai & Pune), Fountain Head Surat, Mega Art Exhibition Surat Science Center,
B.Ed Collage Surat, Shiv Nadar int.School Faridabad, Delhi, National Academy of direct Taxes Nagpur and many more.
With representing his Masterd script Gujarati, he has also participated in various exhibitions Nationally and Internationally.
Gopal Patel is an inspiring Indian calligrapher for many as he takes it further and Makes sure to indulge all his students in learning all these different scripts while he successfully runs his academy called Ink Drops in Surat where he exhibits his students calligraphy work a displaying it on a large scale event every year a wonderful initiative called Aksharyatra.
Inku Kumar
Kavita Balakrishnan
Inter-disciplinary practitioner in Art, poetry and curation. Practicing in multiple medium – painting, visual poetry, graphic authoring, illustrations, performative photography and archive-generated art practices.
Travelled in 1989 to Crimea’s Artek International Young Pioneer Camp at age thirteen as the first recipient of Soviet Land Nehru Award from Kerala for painting. That pivotal experience birthed her artistic consciousness. Pursued Masters in Art History at M S University, Baroda (1998). Doctorate in Kerala’s print modernity. Engaging in art-pedagogy since 2005. Specialised in writing on Kerala’s print modernism and feminist historiography, Kavitha bridges regional Indian art history with global visual studies.
Manish Soni
Manish Soni is a software developer, astrologer, calligrapher, typographer, government Vedic Math expert from Vadodara, India since last 40 plus years. He runs a software firm. Owning vast calligraphy vintage collections, he demonstrated calligraphy at various institutes in India. His life motto is: “It is better to build children than to repair men.”
Michel D’anastasio
Michel D’Anastasio is a Paris-based calligraphy artist whose work bridges silence and sign, Hebrew and Latin, tradition and contemporary expression. Since 1989, his journey has led him from the rigor of classical forms to the freedom of gestural writing, embracing ancient roots and new revelations. A pivotal trip to Israel awakened a profound connection with Hebrew letters, which he explores with spiritual depth and artistic innovation.
Through ink, sand, gold leaf, and shadowed light, his creations invite contemplation. Exhibited worldwide — from Tokyo to Tel Aviv, Montréal to Paris — Michel also shares his craft as a teacher, transmitting not only techniques but a reverence for the meditative power of the line. Michel explores the space between writing and silence, where each letter finds its own voice.
Mukesh kumar
Mukesh Kumar is a calligrapher and visual artist based in India. He holds a BFA and MFA in Applied Art from Raja Maan Singh Tomar University, Gwalior.
He specializes in Copperplate and experimental calligraphy and has conducted workshops across India in institutions like Shiv Nadar University, Lovely Professional University, and Craft Museum Delhi.
With a passion for scripts and letterforms, Mukesh brings language and emotion alive through his expressive calligraphy. He continues to explore diverse scripts and styles, sharing his knowledge through teaching and live demonstrations.
Muqtar Ahammed
Muqtar Ahmed has been working in the field of calligraphy for several years. He worked as an A grade calligrapher with one of India’s leading dailies, Daily Salar in Bangalore.
Muqtar attended the International Typography and Calligraphy Conference Dubai organised by the American University of Dubai, the Second International Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in Algeria and the Sharjah Exhibition. He has participated in calligraphy exhibitions and events in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia, and the UAE.
Apart from these, Muqtar also attended the Terengganu International Calligraphy Award ceremony in 2012, 2013 and 2014 on invitation to the Malaysia Calligraphy festival. He is the First Indian to receive ljaza (Masters Diploma) in Arabic calligraphy from IRCICA in Istanbul, turkey.
Narayana Bhattathiri
Narayana Bhattathiri was born in a sleepy little village in Kerala, India, and Graduated, from the College of Fine Arts, Trivandrum India, in painting. In 1982, He joined the Kalakaumudi group of publications as an artist — the first person in Kerala to be designated as a (Malayalam) calligrapher.
Kerala never had a history of calligraphy — still no equivalent word for calligraphy in the language. For more than four decades he played with Malayalam alphabets, ‘lettering’ the titles of stories and poems. Several exhibitions at art galleries and educational institutions in different parts of India.
He is also the recipient of the Jikji Excellence Award in International Calligraphy for 2017 and 2018. Work is selected for the Calligraphers in Conversation (5th Annual International Calligraphy Exhibition, Sanfrancisco)
His calligraphy work is also exhibited at the Calligraphy Stone Park in Herbin, China among the best in the world.
Navakanth Karide
Navakanth is a Telugu calligraphy artist who brings letters to life through ink and imagination.
From movie posters to global exhibitions, my journey started with one simple stroke.
Every word I write carries the weight of tradition and the spirit of innovation.
This isn’t just handwriting — it’s an emotion, a culture, a connection.
Welcome to a world where TELUGU script becomes timeless art..
Norbo Lama
Norbu Lama has always been involved in calligraphy. Since his school days, he would copy and write words in the Roman scripts, in a built-up lettering process with a basic pointed pen than any required tool, mainly because of a paucity of required tools. A self taught calligrapher doggedly toiling away in pursuing his love of the letters.
His interest lies primarily in Roman scripts and feels competent to write in Foundational, Italic, Trajan, Blackletter, Copperplate and Spencerian hands. He also writes in the Uchhen and Umed forms of Tibetan calligraphy.
He has been committed to part time calligraphy for about 25+ years and full time for about ten years now. He has taught calligraphy in Nepal and Sikkim, and is hopeful that he can generate an awareness about calligraphy in the community.
Qamar Dagar
Qamar Dagar is a contemporary pictorial calligrapher. She combines Hindi and Urdu scripts using letters of both alphabets as art material giving visual interpretation to a chosen theme. She belongs to the world-renowned Dagar family of Indian classical (dhrupad) musicians.
Recipient of Nari Shakti Sammaan by the President of India, Women’s International award, Pioneer Artist Award, WUD Critic’s Choice Award she is dedicated to the preservation and popularization of calligraphy in both its traditional and contemporary avatars. She is founder Director of Qalamkaari Creative Calligraphy Trust (2011), Delhi. and has organized and curated International Calligraphy festivals “Qalam-Aatma” in Delhi and Jaipur. She is closely associated with Dhrupad Society.
She conducts workshops for SPICMACAY. She is committed to working towards making Indian contemporary creative and traditional calligraphy known the world over as an important visual art.
She is Project participant of Russia based MVK Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy, Moscow, features in book on Indian calligraphy Aksharbharti by Achyut Palav. Participated in Art festivals: ICFK-Kerela, Meraj-Bangaluru, Scripted Dialogues – Alliance Francaise. World Peace Conference- Chennai.
Rajeesh KV
Rajeesh is a computer programmer with keen interest in typography and type development. He contributes to a large number of Open Source Software projects. He is involved in the maintenance of over a dozen of traditional orthography Malayalam fonts made freely available by Swathanthra Malayalam Computing and Rachana Institute of Typography. He has also developed software tools for font production which were instrumental in the making of N. Bhattathiri’s designs into open fonts such as Sundar, Karuna, Ezhuthu & Chingam. He likes to use TeX, Metafont and Linux
Sachin Shah
Sachin Shah is a professional calligrapher with 30+ years of experience and the co-editor of the 25th edition of ‘The Speedball Textbook’. He likes to experiment with traditional hands and often comes up with his own versions of styles and scripts. Well conversant with most forms and scripts of Calligraphy, he has taught and mentored numerous students across the world.
Santhosh Ksheersagar
Dr. Santosh Bhaskar Kshirsagar is a B.F.A. and M.F.A. (by research) from Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art. Mumbai, India, has been experimenting and doing research in Indian Calligraphy for more than the past 30 years. He has conducted hundreds of workshops on basic Devanagari Calligraphy and stylisation, in different parts of the world. In addition, he has been teaching Indian (especially Devanagari) Calligraphy, Typography and visual communication design, for more than two decades at JJIAA, Mumbai, and is currently the Dean of the institution.
He is a vivid scholar who has done numerous research work and paper presentations on a variety of topics in several countries, and his academic work has gained several publications over the years.
He is an integral part of the Advisory board of Typography Day, the only International Indian conference on Script, Calligraphy and Typography, since 2009. He has also been invited by ALBA University, Beirut to discuss Lebanon’s National Identity design- project. He is an academic consultant to government organizations and institutions throughout the country. He founded Aksharaya, the only organisation working for Indian script, calligraphy and Typography.
Saurabh Kesari
Saurabh Kesari is a Mumbai-based calligrapher, typographer, visual artist, and educator, specialising in Cola Pen Calligraphy—an expressive, experimental approach to lettering using a handmade tool crafted from recycled materials. His practice explores the fluidity, texture, and spontaneity of Indian scripts while pushing the boundaries of conventional calligraphy. Through workshops and demonstrations, he encourages artists to discover new possibilities through unconventional tools.
Shipra Rohatgi
My name is Shipra Rohatgi and I’m the artist and calligrapher behind Likhawat Designs, a 4th generation calligrapher in India. As Likhawat matured, I found immense joy in teaching and learning various languages and performing calligraphy in various manuscripts. I love to use calligraphy to write regional language Indian poems and enhanced with watercolour washes, flourishes & flowers.
Over many decades Likhawat has given me the opportunity to personalize invitations for weddings with the likes of Bollywood actors, Indian Royal families, Indian Industrialists, Designers & International Brands, be it birthdays or other important occasions.I’ve also been featured in many magazines and newpapers, and am proud that I was contracted to complete calligraphy projects on stone, metal, canvas, walls, sarees (any fabric), ceramics, wood, cars in fact just about any surface to do calligraphy on!
This experience of 3 decades plus inspired & compelled me to create Products based on Calligraphy. These products are things of use from day to day life, just a little more meaningful & colourful, aesthetically designed to make a Product – Experiential.
Sudeep Gandhi
Sudeep Gandhi is a Designer by Profession, Calligraphist by Soul, an Artist as a whole. With over 11 years of experience, he proudly calls himself Your Brand Companion.
Having worked with renowned clients such as Cadbury, Big Bazaar, Faber-Castell, and 100 Pipers he has also worked with leading advertising agencies. His passion for Lettering and Calligraphy has not only inspired him to conduct workshops at prestigious art colleges and events but also earned him a place as a TEDx Speaker.
Honored with the “Excellence in Calligraphy” award at the Jikji Exhibition 2024 in South Korea, Sudeep’s ultimate goal is to master and practice all Indian scripts along with their languages, fostering awareness of India’s rich linguistic heritage.
Suresh Wagmore
Suresh Waghmore, a multi-talented individual, is an artist, creative designer, calligrapher, and skilled pen maker based in Bengaluru. Since his graduation, he has delved into various disciplines, mastering the art of experimental non-objective abstracts, captivating watercolour landscapes and portraits, and the graceful art of calligraphy in both Kannada and English scripts. Additionally, he has honed his craft as a pen maker, creating bespoke tools for his calligraphy endeavours.
Tarundeep Girdhar
The chief designer of Graphic Design Department, NID, Ahmadabad, Tarun Deep Girdher has long and prolific years of experience in design education and academic governance. An expert practitioner of the art, he takes up projects pertaining to communication meant for rural community. His major research areas include Gurmukhi script, social behavior and indigenous visual culture.
Vinoth Kumar
Vinoth Kumar is an artist, designer, typographer, and calligrapher with a deep passion for art, design, and letters, especially Thamizh calligraphy. For the past 15 years, he have been exploring and practicing Thamizh calligraphy, continuously learning and evolving his style.
My journey began in childhood, designing signboards in Thamizh. This early experience led me to study at the College of Fine Arts, Chennai, where I discovered English calligraphy and soon began blending those techniques into my Thamizh work.
With few resources or references, I developed my own unique approach, inspired by signboard art and traditional scripts. Today, I actively share my work on Instagram, promoting Thamizh calligraphy while exploring modern styles, tools, and digital techniques to keep the art form alive and evolving.