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.

Mysticism in Miniature Art: An interview with Artist Fatima Zahra Hassan

Mysticism in Miniature Art: An interview with Artist Fatima Zahra Hassan

Miniature Painting is unique as it transforms the material world into a world which is dreamlike. It is representational art form considering the other visual Arts of Islam. It can tell the whole story in a small space which is manifold.

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

An Afternoon with Mohamed Zakariya: The Story of the Poem

An Afternoon with Mohamed Zakariya: The Story of the Poem

Last fall, I had the privilege to sit with Zakariya hoca to talk about calligraphy and his experiences. But he shared with me more than just calligraphy. We talked about languages, poetry, past and current masters of this art, literature and of course calligraphy! For the next few months I will be sharing with you snippets of our conversation.

Calligraphy is Persistence: Profile of Calligrapher Shahryanshah Sirajuddin

Calligraphy is Persistence: Profile of Calligrapher Shahryanshah Sirajuddin

Benjamin Franklin once said, “energy and persistence conquers all things.” If there is a calligrapher that embodies those words, Shahryanshah Sirajuddin is one. We begin a new year of artist profiles with someone whose determination and love of calligraphy brought him to Turkey, all the way from Indonesia. His sincere journey to learn the art of calligraphy is an inspiration for us living in the west where classes and teachers are not so readily available. His story teaches us that with persistence and energy any creative skill, not matter how overwhelming, can be learned.

A Student's Perspective of Arabic Calligraphy

A Student's Perspective of Arabic Calligraphy

Spending years studying Arabic, living and working in the Middle East, I was familiar with the Arabic alphabet and calligraphy, but always figured that it was too hard to learn -- after all, even writing in Arabic was difficult for me, much less cultivating the patience and fortitude to master penmanship in another language. Especially since I am not artistically inclined, I balked at first.

Calligraphy is Tradition: Profile of Calligrapher Gulnaz Mahboob

Calligraphy is Tradition: Profile of Calligrapher Gulnaz Mahboob

It is a very honest art. Writing the Divine words as beautifully as you can in that moment  should be your foremost motivation with lots of hard work. Thereafter the direction your writing takes is not in your capacity to control and you have to accept this.

The Forgotten Sacred Script: Profile of Master Artist Ian Whiteman

The Forgotten Sacred Script: Profile of Master Artist Ian Whiteman

With calligraphy, specifically, the classic advice is to spend half your time collecting and gazing at works of calligraphy and pieces art that you are drawn to and the other half of your time practicing it. Doors will open for you..