Islamic Calligraphy: A course for beginners (Full, Waitlist only)
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response from the attendees of the “Intro to Islamic Calligraphy”, MFC is very excited to announce an online Islamic Calligraphy course for beginners. The course will be taught by Sr. Elinor Aishah Holland. Sr. Elinor is a calligrapher of Arabic and Latin scripts. She received her Ijaza, or diploma, in two forms of Arabic script in 2013 from Master Calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya. She teaches regularly for the NY Society of Scribes and colleges, art centers and museums in the US and Canada including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History and The Smithsonian Institute. She has exhibited in Kuwait, Sharjah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and throughout the US.
Course info:
Duration: 8 weeks (Saturdays at 1-2PM, starting January 30th)
Fees: $100 (one time payment, students will be responsible for buying their supplies)
Age: 11+
Class size: 15 students
Course Description:
Calligraphy is the most prominent art in Islamic culture. Having its roots in the Qur’an, the practice of calligraphy is a multidimensional endeavor. The practice of calligraphy requires patience and discipline, develops understanding of space and design, and, as the calligrapher develops, engages the intellect in a contemplative way. The rewards that come from perseverance along the path enrich the soul.
Beginning with the traditional lessons taught by Ottoman masters, we will follow the mufradat, or exercises used to learn the various styles. These exercises, or lessons have been practiced for a thousand years and involve the practice of the letter connections in Arabic script. The style we will begin with is Thuluth, a well- known, complex and beautiful hand. If students complete the mufradat, we then move to learning sentences and advanced composition.
During the Covid 19 pandemic we are doing classes via Zoom. We will alternate a one hour class that includes presenting and demonstrating a line of letters with the following class that will be correcting students homework.
Supplies:
The students are responsible of buying their own supplies. Students have two options:
Order the basic kit from here (Bamboo pen, ink, and add papers to your order).
We can buy the material for the students for an additional $20 (please pay $120, not $100, and make a note in the comment section, so we can order the materials for you).
Registration Form (Waitlist only)
After filling the registration form below, you will be placed in a waiting list. If we get enough interest we will reach out with details about a second course.