Nina Tran
Nina Tran is a beloved calligrapher and instructor, residing in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Her Instagram page inspires her over 54 thousand followers with her calligraphy adventures in Copperplate, Spencerian, Foundation, Gothicized Italic script, Fraktur … and she continues to add to her vast repertoire of calligraphic scripts as well as other related skills such as book-binding, watercolours, and so forth.
Well-loved as a calligraphy instructor in many parts of the world, Nina’s classes, both online and in-person, are always sold-out. Students testify to her ability to breakdown the most complex concepts into simple, doable steps. Nina shares her journey into calligraphy:
“Beautiful letters have always captivated me, but I never imagined I would be the one writing them. My journey began with an attempt at modern calligraphy back in December 2014 when a friend invited me to calligraph her wedding signages. After a month of frustration (scratchy nib, bleeding ink, uncooperative paper, and so many other unknowns), I nearly threw in the towel.
One day, I followed the rabbit hole on Instagram and came across a post by Ate Gail Madalag. In that moment, I fell in love with the Copperplate script. I fell in love with the structure and the rules, the shades and hairlines, the oval, and elegant lowercase letters and the majestic uppercase letters. There was no turning back!
Like so many others, my casual hobby turned into a fiery passion and obsession. While I love writing, there is nothing I love more than teaching and sharing the things that I have learned.”
Fans love Nina for her humour, humility and approachability as well as her pursuit of excellence and discipline in her art. Not one to look down on small beginnings, Nina usually has a word of encouragement for the struggling calligrapher.
“My goal is to inspire you to pick up a pointed pen and to help you along your calligraphy journey by sharing my personal experiences and the tips and tricks I have picked up along the way. Let’s do this!”
A single mom to three wonderful children — Miles, Emily, and Alyson — Nina loves bringing them to the beach, riding bikes, swimming, and reading books together.
Nina was part of the Symbiosis II exhibition, working in the mentoring group led by Yukimi Annand. Visit Nina’s art in the exhibition gallery to see her explorations, the scripts she developed, and how she translated them into wearable art! Nina will also be hosting a sharing session about her daily journal project, as well as a Meet the Artist session where you will get a behind-the-scenes peek into her creative process during this mentoring journey.
