Chui Xianren, a disabled street beggar from Shangdong, China, has recently become an online star after photos of his beautiful handwriting were posted on a popular Chinese site. Now Founder Electronics, the biggest Chinese font supplier in the world has decided to acquire his unique typography.
There are many talented font designers out there, but the case of Chui Xianren is a special one. The 49-year-old from Hei Longjiang province, northeastern China, was seriously injured when a barrel of fuel exploded at his work place, 18 years ago. His face and hands suffered severe burns and all but his fore and index fingers were paralyzed. Although he was unable to work, Chuy somehow still managed to practice his handwriting and started supporting himself by begging in the streets and showcasing his amazing talent by writing with colored chalk.
Last month, photos of Chui Xianren’s street typography were posted online and eventually went viral, attracting the attention of Founder Electronics. “Chui’s writing is quaint and elegant. It is so beautiful that we believe that with some development it will be widely used in advertisements” said Wang, product manager of Founder Electronics. “It can also be applied to the titles of magazines and as furniture carving,” he added. The talented artist has already signed a contract with the company and received 50,000RMB ( $7,800) for his living expenses as he works on the font.
Chui’s font will bear his name (Xian Ren) and will be available in a personal and commercial version. For the commercial license users will have to pay 2,000 RMB ($315) for a one-year license, with all profits for the next 50 years going to Chui Xianren. Although he now has financial support, Chui said he will continue to showcase his beautiful typography on the streets, for everyone to see.
