Clémence Chollet

Calligrapher

©Clemence Chollet

The aesthetic of handwriting

Clémence is a self-taught calligrapher
She started her business as a career change
Her work mixes tradition and technology

While working in the luxury goods industry, Clémence Chollet came across calligraphy as a career opportunity. Having always practised crafts and artistic activities, her attention was immediately caught by the calligraphers she met through her work. They inspired her to one day consider being a professional calligraphy artist herself. Through her friends and family commissions for more and more services as a calligrapher, Clémence ended up choosing this craft as her main occupation and started her business. Today, she mixes traditional techniques and the use of digital technology to create her modern-style calligraphy. Clémence believes calligraphy is an art form that soothes her. Through her work she once received the compliments of Julia Roberts, for whom she had personalised an invitation!

Interview

©Clemence Chollet

©Clemence Chollet

Do you consider your craft rare?: I often hear that there is no such thing as calligraphy anymore, but I think it is coming back because people are focusing again on things that are authentic and soothing. It is also a craft that endures in luxury brands, because they value personalisation and craft.
How do you mix tradition and innovation?: Tradition is through the tools I use: the nib, the holder and the inkwell. Innovation is in the modern form of my calligraphy, as well as the use of an iPad to avoid wasting paper on drafts, and a laser to write in a straight line, so I do not have to draw lines.
Why do you enjoy your craft so much?: The first reason is the state of mind to adopt. In order to work well, I must not be experiencing anxiety, fatigue or stress. The hand is like the voice, it trembles if it is upset! Having to breathe and centre myself before starting work allows me to put my worries aside. It is vital to stay in the present moment.
How would you define your art?: For me, calligraphy is the small detail that makes all the difference. The one element that you would not necessarily have thought of – in a decoration, a presentation, on a table – but that catches your eye and that you remember long after.

Clémence Chollet is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2011 and she started teaching in 2022