It is the writing tool determines the look of calligraphy. The origins of the European alphabet can be traced back to the Roman empire and the stoned-carved Latin letterforms featuring a serif - a slight projection finishing off a letter. 

This distinctive aesthetic pervaded throughout hand-written Medieval manuscripts, printing press and can be found even in digital graphics today. “We have this wonderful tradition in the West that goes back at least 2000 years and I find it incredibly inspiring,” says Seb Lester, an English designer and calligraphy artist. "I think European calligraphy has this incredible wealth of variety. It’s a lifetime study.” 

East Asian calligraphy also originated in bone or shell inscriptions, but it is the brush that ultimately defined its visual expression. Loaded with dark ink and led by the calligrapher’s wrist, the dance of a soft brush creates harmonious and balanced characters imbued with nature, poetry and history. "We have many examples from great masters, and by copying and practising the same calligraphy I am transported from the 21st century to a thousand years ago – it’s a journey in time,” - says Barcelona-based Japanese calligrapher Mitsuru Nagata. “It’s a very important part of Japanese history."