Mohamed Zakariya
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Mohamed Zakariya(born 1942 inVentura,California[1]) is an American masterArabiccalligrapherand anAmerican Muslim convert.
Biography
[edit]Mohamed Zakariya was born in 1942 inVentura, California,the son of art directorEmrich Nicholsonand Amy Aplin.[2][3]Later he moved to Los Angeles with his family. Zakariya saw Islamic calligraphy for the first time in the window of an Armenian carpet store in Los Angeles.[1]Zakariya traveled toMoroccoin his late teens where he became fascinated withIslamandIslamic Calligraphy.[1]After returning from his trip to the United States he converted to Islam.[1]
Zakariya studied manuscripts in theBritish Museum.He then studied with the Egyptian calligrapherAbdussalam Ali-Nour.Afterward, in 1984, he traveled toIstanbuland became a student of the Turkish master calligrapherHasan Celebi.He received his diploma fromCelebiin 1988 at theResearch Center of Islamic History, Art, and Culturein Istanbul. He is the first American to receive this honor. In 1997, he received his second diploma, in theta'liq script,from the master calligrapherAli Alparslan.[1]
From 2004 to 2012, Zakariya was a member of the Joint Advisory Board,Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Artsin Qatar. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the university in 2012.[4][5]
Students worldwide travel to the United States to study under Zakariya.[1]
Calligraphy
[edit]Zakariya's work is held in private collections and some public collections. He designed a postage stamp for theUnited States Postal Serviceto commemorate Eids (Eid al-FitrandEid al-Adha), which appeared in all editions issued to date.[6][7]In 2009, USpresidentBarack Obamacommissioned Mohamed Zakariya to create a piece of calligraphy that was presented to theking of Saudi Arabia.[1]
References
[edit]- ^abcdefgHussain, Amir (2014). "Mohamed Zakariya". In Oxtoby, Willard Gurdon; Hussain, Amir; Amore, Roy C. (eds.).World religions. Western traditions(Fourth ed.). Canada: Oxford University Press. p. 277.ISBN978-0-19-900287-0.OCLC862545152.
- ^"Art talent took Venturan to many places, careers",Ventura County Star(Ventura CA) March 9, 2001, p.17
- ^Kitses p.132
- ^"Saudi Aramco World: The World of Mohamed Zakariya".archive.aramcoworld.com.Retrieved2020-07-08.
- ^Atil, Esin (2006).Mohamed Zakariya Islamic Calligrapher.Bellevue, WA: Bellevue Arts Museum. pp. 12–32.ISBN0-942342-14-3.
- ^"U.S. Muslims Push Stamp As Symbol of Acceptance", The New York Times,By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, NOV. 20, 2001
- ^"Eid Greetings Stamp | USPS.com".store.usps.com.Retrieved2020-07-07.
General references
[edit]- "The Soul Searcher",Psychology Today,May/June 2004.
- "The World of Mohamed Zakariya",Saudi Aramco,January/February 1992.
