› Introduction to the Exhibit

This exhibit brings to life a chain of artistic transmission which has continued, uninterrupted, from the 15th century to the present day.

Our story begins with a tired but still luminious folio in a museum in Baltimore. It is written by Şeyh Hamdullah, born in Turkey around 1436. His birth was predicted by a sufi sage and as he grew older he began to lean toward the art of calligraphy like a vine reaching for the sun. When Beyazid II became Sultan in 1481, he invited Şeyh Hamdullah to Istanbul as chief scribe of the Topkapı palace. One day, the Sultan had seven magnificent works by Yaqut al-Musta’simi brought from the treasury, showed them to Şeyh Hamdullah and said simply, “If a new style were invented that differed from this one, that would be very good.” On his suggestion, Şeyh Hamdullah went into a solitary retreat and during this period of self-imposed isolation was inspired by a new personal style which would become the foundation of Ottoman calligraphy.

Five hundred years later, following a continuous line of transmission from master to student, the tradition of Şeyh Hamdullah continues to be alive through the works of Mohamed Zakariya, based right outside of Washington DC. A living treasure himself, Zakariya has spent a lifetime dedicated to the art of calligraphy, and single-handedly brought this art-form to the United States. Here in our nation’s capital, people from all over the world have visited him, some to learn, some to observe, others to film and record, but all come to marvel. Like Şeyh Hamdullah, he too has planted the seed of a tree which continues to grow and expand through his creations and the students he has trained.

Inspired by this story, the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts was compelled to ask Mohamed Zakariya and his licensed students to share their creations during this time of isolation. Now settled in different parts of the world— Washington, Detroit, New York, Madrid, Paris, and Istanbul — this family of artists share their pieces, their work spaces and their thoughts during their confinement. This exhibition is an offering to all, hoping to share beauty in solitude.