Brixton, London. Traffic and life rush by on Stockwell Road, while behind the door of number 24, the mood is completely different. Calm. Concentration. Attention. This is where calligrapher Paul Antonio develops designs for global luxury brands, where he prepares for his worldwide classes, and where he writes.
Paul Antonio is one of the world’s most sought-after calligraphers. Tiffany, Montblanc, the Guardian, and Versace are among his customers; for the British Crown Office, he drafts the documents used to raise people to the nobility. His illustrative works on Egyptian hieroglyphics are on display at the Metropolitan Museum, in New York. The fact that many of his works are created on paper from Reflex is due to a chance encounter.
“As a calligrapher, you’re constantly looking for new materials. That’s always the starting point for our work: What ink works on which paper, what pen works with which surface, what’s the perfect combination?”
At Creative World in Frankfurt in 2016, he picks up a block of layout paper for markers at the Reflex booth and starts to write:
“I knew the very first time I touched it that this was no ordinary paper.”
The firm surface, the hardness, the density – this paper is sturdy enough not to tear when pressure is exerted with a pen, while at the same time absorbing ink perfectly. Plus, it also offers a perfect level of transparency. Antonio is inspired.
The result of that inspiration: To this day, he always carries ten blocks of this paper with him as he travels the world – and he stays in touch with Reflex. He regularly talks to the management about existing types of paper and new developments – and world-famous calligraphers aren’t the only ones who can look forward eagerly to the results.