Artists

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Haji Noor Deen Mi Guang Jiang is a renowned master of Arabic calligraphy.  He was born in Yucheng, in the Shandong Province of China in 1963.  In 1997, he became the first individual from China to be awarded the Certificate of Arabic Calligrapher in Egypt, after having studied the calligraphic arts there for over ten years

Ahmet Kutluhan Hoca began his studies in Hüsn-i  Hat (the Art of Calligraphy) in high school, learning Rik'a from Rafet Küllüoğlu in Kastamonu. When he came to Istanbul in 1992 for university, he began studying Thuluth and Nasikh from the internationally renowned calligrapher Hasan Çelebi. After six years of study, he received his Ijaza, the authorization to teach Thuluth and Nasikh. He has continued his work in his studio in Uskudar, Istanbul.

Soufiane Abbadi is a Moroccan artist with a masters in pure mathematics. His approach to Islamic geometry was presented to experts in the US, France, Germany, and Morocco.  In March 2018, Ustadh Soufiane’s exhibits were held in Paris at the Maison Soufie and in Morocco at the King Hassan II Mosque Library.

Ricardo Hinojosa Gonzalez is a renowned paper folder and origami artist from México. He was born in 1993 in Monterrey and in 2003 was introduced to paper folding. This pastime developed into passion and since 2014 Ricardo has been teaching people of all ages how to fold. 

Betul Kutluhan Hoca was born in 1977 in Ankara. She graduated from Tosya Religious Vocational High School in Kastamonu. She began her Tezhip studies with her teacher Mustafa Celebi in 2000. After a period of two years, she continued to study with Tezhip artist Sumeyra Gol for 4 years and received her authorization to teach. She participated in many exhibitions both in Turkey and abroad. She has continued her work with her husband Ahmet Kutluhan in their studio in Üsküdar, Istanbul.

Serap Ekizler Sönmez was born in Germany in 1973. She completed her undergraduate degree at Marmara University Faculty of Literature and Sciences Department of Chemistry. She continued her painting education, which she took up at university, within master artists’ studios for 14 years. She opened her own studio in 2003. She took part in a number of group and personal exhibitions. Having numerous unique pieces of art in several international collections, she painted on some institutions’ walls. she completed her master's at Marmara University Institute of Social Sciences Department of Islamic History and Arts (2015) and She is doing a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Yeditepe Üniversity Institute of Social Sciences Department of History.  She mainly works on Islamic architecture and analysis of geometric patterns in Islamic art.