(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Islamic & Arabic calligraphy exhibition being held on the sidelines of the 19th edition of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award saw an impressive masterpiece by the prominent Turkish calligrapher Osman Ozcay.
His spectacular calligraphy chef-d'oeuvre features chapter 112 (Al-Ikhlas or The Sincerity) of the holy Quran which reads: "Say, He is Allah, [who is] One. [He is] the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor begotten. Nor is there any equivalent to Him.'"
The gallery, to be held on an annual basis, is being run in collaboration with the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dubai Chamber) where the international competition is taking place over the period from day one of Ramadan to 18.
Competent calligrapher Osman Ozcay, born in born in Caykara, in the province of Trabzon in 1963, is one of the most talented Turkish artists, and his calligraphy strokes of genius speak volume.
He attended the same school as his brother Mehmet in Gerede and finished high-school there. After studying at the Islamic Institute in Erzurum for two years, he moved to the Islamic Studies Department of Marmara University in Istanbul where he graduated in 1986.
In 1982, even though he did not have a special interest in Islamic calligraphy, he joined his brother when he first visited calligrapher Fuat Basar.
He was suddenly attracted to the art and he started lessons in the script Thuluth the same day.
He later received his diploma in the scripts of Thuluth and Naskh from his teacher. When he came to Istanbul, he met M. Ugur Derman from whom he has benefited greatly throughout the years. Derman gave him some copies of Sami Efendi`s Jali Thuluth writings, which were written for a public water fountain behind 'Yeni Cami' (New Mosque) in Istanbul. These sources served as the most important guide in learning the script of Jali Thuluth.
In the first (1986) and second (1989) international competitions organised by The Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), which serves as the secretariat of The Commission for the Preservation of Islamic Cultural Heritage associated with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, he received five awards, gaining second and third prizes in various scripts including Jali Thuluth and Thuluth. He won the first prize at the calligraphy competition organized by the Maktab Al Shahid Kuwaiti Institute in 1997.
Ozcay has participated in personal exhibitions with his brother Mehmet Ozcay in Istanbul (1996), Abu Dhabi (1998), Sharjah (1999), and Dubai (2003). He has also taken part in the exhibitions organised by IRCICA in association with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai 2003, 2004 and 2005.
In 2003, he participated in the calligraphy exhibition in Tokyo and joined some other calligraphers on The Days of Arabic Calligraphy in Tunisia in 1997 and 2006. He has also participated in various exhibitions in Turkey and abroad.
Osman Ozcay is producing works in the styles of Thuluth, Jali Thuluth, Naskh and Muhaqqaq according to the classical approach. Throughout the years his pieces of calligraphy have entered museums and special collections. -ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com
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