Ewan Clayton is a calligrapher, teacher and writer as well as a certified Somatic coach and body-worker. He grew up near the village of Ditchling, Sussex, home to the calligrapher Edward Johnston. His family worked as weavers in the Guild of craftsmen on Ditchling Common founded by Eric Gill and the printer Hilary Pepler in 1921. Ewan was also a member of the Guild before it closed in 1988. He trained as a calligrapher at the Roehampton Institute with Ann Camp and assisted her with the teaching there. In the mid 1980s Ewan lived as a Benedictine monk at Worth Abbey in Sussex. After leaving the monastery he was hired as a consultant to Xerox's Palo Alto Research Laboratory (PARC).
Today Ewan is Professor in Design at the University of Sunderland where he assists in directing their International Calligraphy Research Centre. Ewan has extensive teaching experience. He steered the old Roehampton calligraphy courses through to degree status, established Sunderland University's course at Kensington Palace. He is a core member of staff at The Royal Drawing School.
In 2013 Ewan was named Craft Champion of the year for his contribution to educating others in the Crafts in the first National Craft Skills Awards. He was awarded an MBE in the 2014 New Year's Honours List. Ewan's MBE reflects his work for various charities including The Heritage Crafts Association, The Crafts Study Centre, The Pakistan Islamic Arts Institute in Lahore, The Irene Wellington Educational Trust, the prison arts charity The Koestler Trust, and other organisations. Also in 2014 Ewan was proud to be presented with the first Karlgeorg Hoefer Prize, by the Schreibwerkstatt Klingspor Offenbach on the 100th anniversary of Karlgeorg's birth. In 2016 he was certified as a somatic coach and body worker having trained for a number of years with the Strozzi Institute in California. Most recently Ewan has been working as advisor to The British Library on 'Writing: Making your Mark' 5000 years of writing from hieroglyphs to emojis, he has also edited the catalogue for the exhibition.
Today Ewan is Professor in Design at the University of Sunderland where he assists in directing their International Calligraphy Research Centre. Ewan has extensive teaching experience. He steered the old Roehampton calligraphy courses through to degree status, established Sunderland University's course at Kensington Palace. He is a core member of staff at The Royal Drawing School.
In 2013 Ewan was named Craft Champion of the year for his contribution to educating others in the Crafts in the first National Craft Skills Awards. He was awarded an MBE in the 2014 New Year's Honours List. Ewan's MBE reflects his work for various charities including The Heritage Crafts Association, The Crafts Study Centre, The Pakistan Islamic Arts Institute in Lahore, The Irene Wellington Educational Trust, the prison arts charity The Koestler Trust, and other organisations. Also in 2014 Ewan was proud to be presented with the first Karlgeorg Hoefer Prize, by the Schreibwerkstatt Klingspor Offenbach on the 100th anniversary of Karlgeorg's birth. In 2016 he was certified as a somatic coach and body worker having trained for a number of years with the Strozzi Institute in California. Most recently Ewan has been working as advisor to The British Library on 'Writing: Making your Mark' 5000 years of writing from hieroglyphs to emojis, he has also edited the catalogue for the exhibition.
