Hi, I’m Gela! I’m a graphic designer, calligrapher, and the owner behind Gela Design Studio.

My journey started with graphic design. I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree in Multimedia Arts in 2009, where I discovered and developed my passion for art, design, typography, and visual storytelling. After graduating, I began my career as a graphic designer. Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked on layouts, branding, social media content, typography, and a variety of creative projects.

In 2015, I attended Type Lab MNL, the first type conference I joined here in Manila, Philippines, and discovered the world of lettering and calligraphy. I bought my first brush pens and started learning the basics. What began as a creative hobby quickly became something I couldn’t stop practicing. I started with just a few brush pens and a calligraphy pad, practicing every day for a whole year. At first, it was frustrating, I struggled a lot to get the strokes right and couldn’t quite find my own style. But I kept going. When I finally gained confidence in my own style, everything started to fall into place.

Then in 2016, I started a little passion project called #ProjectWordArt where I handwrote the favorite Bible verses of my family and friends each day for 42 days. I committed to that passion project as a way of improving my calligraphy skills. That personal project eventually grew into Gela Design Studio.

I continued to improve my calligraphy skills in different ways even after launching my small business. I watched YouTube tutorials, joined an online calligraphy workshop during the pandemic, invested in books, and, most importantly, kept practicing whenever I could while working a full-time job.

Over the years, Gela Design Studio has grown from handwritten verses into art prints, stickers, greeting cards, gifts, calligraphy pieces, and creative services. I’ve had the joy of seeing my work make its way into people’s homes, be given as gifts, and become part of little moments worth remembering. And honestly, that still amazes me. Because this started with something so simple: a love for creating, a pen in my hand, and a desire to make something beautiful.

Thank you for being here, for supporting my work, and for giving the things I make a place in your life. I hope something you find here makes you smile, sparks a little joy, or reminds you of something worth holding on to. Soli Deo Gloria!