islamic art

A Journey in Eastern Art: An Interview with Yukiko Futamura

A Journey in Eastern Art: An Interview with Yukiko Futamura

I think I've been attracted to Islamic art and exotic things since I was a child. I was fascinated by the decorative patterns of the mosque, Arabic music, and traditional Indian and Middle Eastern costumes. The Taj Mahal in India, the Alhambra Palace in Spain, and various buildings and mosaics of Arab culture that I saw in Morocco and Sicily made a strong impression on me.

A Man of Many Firsts: A Conversation with Master Calligrapher Yushaa Abdullah

A Man of Many Firsts: A Conversation with Master Calligrapher Yushaa Abdullah

Yushaa Abdullah is a pioneer. He is one of the first master calligraphers from Nigeria who brought the art, and support from Istanbul to the whole of the Black African Region. He is a man of many firsts. He is the first person in the African region to receive an Ijazah or diploma in Arabic calligraphy, studying under Turkish grandmaster Hasan Çelebi.

Preserving Traditional Arts in the West: Profile of Master Calligrapher Dr. Mehmet Refii Kileci

Preserving Traditional Arts in the West: Profile of Master Calligrapher Dr. Mehmet Refii Kileci

In a way, calligraphy is the language of the pen, and the calligrapher is a messenger who conveys divine and prophetic messages to people. In the Islamic heritage, knowledge is sacred, and so are the means of transmission of knowledge, namely ink, pen, paper and text.

Six things to know about Turkish master Hasan Çelebi

Six things to know about Turkish master Hasan Çelebi

Hasan Celebi is by far the most distinguished representative of the art of Islamic Calligraphy in modern times. A student of the last representative of Ottoman school of calligraphy, Hamid Aytac, he is our current link to the tradition of Arabic calligraphy.

Calligraphy is Inspiration: Profile of master calligrapher Ayman Hassan

Calligraphy is Inspiration: Profile of master calligrapher Ayman Hassan

There is no limit in calligraphy. Rules in calligraphy are the starting point. Once you master them you can break them, but you cannot break something you cannot see or touch.

Reviving Traditional Art in the West: A Story of Samiur Rahman

Reviving Traditional Art in the West: A Story of Samiur Rahman

Practicing calligraphy in the UK has required a lot of adaptation for many reasons; firstly, it is quite difficult to reflect the traditional ways where a student would go out in search for a teacher and stay in his /her Suhbat (companionship) for a number of years devoting himself/herself to that field. Similarly, the essence of a calligrapher is their materials..

An Afternoon with Mohamed Zakariya (Part 2) - On Tradition and Precision Writing

An Afternoon with Mohamed Zakariya (Part 2) - On Tradition and Precision Writing

When you look at a writing of thuluth script, you will notice invisible lines going in a certain angle that have measurements, like 5 dots or 10 dots.  Zakariya hoca said, “these relationships of dimensions are only the beginning of writing.” Therefore, when you are first learning how to write in Arabic calligraphy, you are learning the measurements of letters.

Calligraffiti: How Artist Gabriel Garay Blends Graffiti and Calligraphy

 Calligraffiti: How Artist Gabriel Garay Blends Graffiti and Calligraphy

I have been doing graffiti since my teens, so as I came across Islamic art and Islamic Calligraphy it really captivated me. I looked at how the master calligraphers played with the structure of the letters, stretching, and bending the forms. I automatically saw the correlation with what I was, or should I say, what we were, doing as graffiti artist with the latin script