My Space: calligraphy studio Life at Studio B

If you’re only as good as those you surround yourself with, these Hong Kong businesses are taking things up a notch with well-designed office spaces. We take a peek in our three-part web series.

Meeting calligrapher Beverly Chan for the first time is like encountering someone who feels more like a kindred spirit than a stranger. It’s no surprise, then, that her warm and affable presence has allowed her to resonate with a variety of bridal clients and corporate brands via her business, Life at Studio B. 

Who was your very first calligraphy client?
Back in 2010, I had cousins who were getting married. They invited me to create pieces for their wedding – place cards, escort cards, thank you cards. Eventually, their friends who attended their wedding saw what I was doing and asked me to create calligraphy pieces for their events and weddings, too. It snowballed from there!

How do you work with your clients on projects?
I really like spending the time to get to know my clients, to try to see the bigger picture instead of focusing solely on the single task of creating calligraphy for them. We talk, we meet, I try to understand where they’re coming from. From there, I try to create something to suit their vision or personality. Hopefully, the client is happy after everything.

Tell us about the creative inspiration behind your office space?
The whole process was fun! I compiled tons of images on Pinterest, and Jay [my husband] and I went selected different elements that would work. In general, I find inspiration everywhere. Magazines, blogs, designers, books. An old sign I see on the street, or the colour of a teacup I happen upon during lunch, or an art piece at a friend’s home.

If I am ever feeling stuck, creatively, I think travelling is a super effective cure. There is nothing else like it. Soaking up a totally different culture, seeing how things are done somewhere else, what they wear, how they speak or write, what comes naturally to them that I might not have thought of before.

What is the most exciting project you have done to date?
It may have been an event I did with a high fashion client last year. That event was like a dream. The team there was so incredible to work with. In addition to some preparatory work prior to their event, they also invited me to be on-site to assist with any last minute calligraphy work to the guest list. I arrived a bit early, so they told me to explore the site. You should have seen the place. I was in complete shock and awe! The site was a historical building, which had been completely converted into a surreal botanical art installation. Seeing calligraphy work on the tables alongside every other little detail was so thrilling, like being in a wonderland or the world’s best candy shop.

Watch for the following parts in the series – Hatton Studios and Open House.

By: Daniel Kong

Photography: Kenneth Wu
Production: Daniel Kong