Since 1997, I have met the Middle East and its peoples, sometimes as a tourist, sometimes as an expatriate. At first contemplative of its beauties, I gradually entered its culture, learning Arabic language at Inalco in 2005, then Arabic calligraphy from 2006. And then everything followed: calligraphic styles, each one in a different city, then the Turkish language, a little Ottoman and finally Persian (in progress), at the same time as I discovered Persian book illumination. Today, I embrace a part of the Middle Eastern book arts, with a lot of modesty about what remains to be learned and admiration for my successive masters.
DAMASCUS
Adnan Farid
In the historical heart of the Middle East, I discover the roq'a style.
July 2006, while Hezbollah is fighting, with the support of the whole Arab world, against Israel, I find a calligraphy teacher, Adnan Farid, who is also an oud player in his spare time. He gives me the rudiments of Arabic calligraphy, with gentleness and passion. And crowns this training course with my first diploma, handmade...
ABU DHABI
Mohammed Mandi
The city born of the desert is home to one of the great masters of the Middle East, who introduces me to the thuluth style...
A year spent with Mohammed Mandi. I work the thuluth style, which is the hardest. That was his approach, which he summed up as follows: "When you control the tiger, you control all the animals." He's probably right, but I'll only be able to confirm that when I master it...
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PARIS
Mahmoud Bagdadi
It is in the French capital that I met a master of the Maghribi style and a great calligrapher of the Baghdad school, with whom I discovered the Naskh, Diwani and Jelli Diwani styles.
Mahmoud Bagdadi arrived in France 6 years earlier, directly from Baghdad where he graduated from the fine arts, in the calligraphy section. But he masters many other techniques, from drawing to sculpture. The school in Baghdad is the oldest calligraphy school. I am taking advantage of this opportunity to broaden my palette.
Abdallah Akar kept the love of right proportions from his time as a mathematics teacher. He adds a great creativity and an unparalleled sense of poetry. He introduces me to the flagship style of the Maghreb, but also brings me all his sense of creativity. I continue to work with him today.
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ISTANBUL
Hassan Celebi
Salim Hamidi
The world-city opens the doors of its history to me: it will be the school of Istanbul in roq'a style.
It is with shyness that I meet Sheikh Hassan Celebi, the living great master of the Istanbul school. He whose hand trembles with age, stabilizes when it comes to correcting the works presented to him by his pupils, all of whom are already recognized masters. Initially intrigued by the arrival of the "little French girl", he soon seemed very happy to be able to spread his art in the West. He entrusts me to one of his most talented students.
It is Salim Hamidi, a young Moroccan of 24 years old. He is the son of the great calligraphy master Belaïd Hamidi, who holds an ijaza (a teaching licence given by a master, equivalent to a diploma in Europe) in every style of calligraphy. Salim already has three and he wins in 2016, while I work with him, a prestigious competition in Istanbul, in the Nastaliq style. With him, I am deepening the roq'a style. And I also benefit from his father's teaching.
DJERBA
Abdallah Akar
It is on this island, lulled by a gentle wind, that I work in the ancient kufic style.
A traditional houch is a large house with a patio and many places to sit. It is in his renovated houch that Abdallah welcomes me, in 2018 and then in 2019, to work together and a little cut off from the world, for a week. During the second session, he makes a special focus on ancient kufic.