Exhibition Program: Islamic Calligraphy Artist Talk and Workshop
Meet present-day calligraphy masters in this special two-part program, including an exhibition tour, artist talk and hands-on workshop.
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk
Join a tour of the exhibition Prayer and Transcendence highlighting calligraphy in prayer carpets, followed by a presentation from master Arabic script calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya. Zakariya will share his personal journey as an artist and the recent acquisition of his work by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Walters in Baltimore. Participants will have time to reflect and ask questions about the relationship between spirituality and art.
2-5 p.m. Calligraphy Workshop
After a break for lunch, the program will resume with Islamic calligraphy workshops led by licensed calligraphers Aishah Holland and Nihad Dukhan. Those new and old to calligraphy are welcome.
This program is a partnership with the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts.
About the Exhibition
In the Muslim faith, carpets create physically and spiritually “clean” spaces during the daily ritual of prayer. Drawn from five collections, Prayer and Transcendence introduces the purpose and iconography of classical prayer rugs from across the Islamic world, as well as design comparisons from the Jewish tradition. Learn more about the exhibition
About Mohamed Zakariya
Mohamed Zakariya is a calligrapher, turner and metalworker who blends classical standards with a modern sensibility. Known for his design of the “Eid Greetings” U.S. postage stamps, Zakariya concentrates on classical Arabic and Ottoman Turkish calligraphy. His has exhibited art at the Museum of Islamic Arts in Doha, Qatar; the Asia Society, New York; the Institute for Works on Paper, San Francisco; and more. He was recently artist-in-residence at the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art in Honolulu. Dedicated to reviving classical texts through aesthetically arresting presentation, Zakariya is considered the preeminent ambassador of the art of Islamic calligraphy in America.
How to Participate
This program is organized by the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts. Please register with them through Eventbrite to receive links and information to join the program.
About Exhibition Programs
Virtual and in-person programs explore themes from the exhibitions Prayer and Transcendence and what color is divine light? Browse upcoming programs