Mehmet Cebi, with other officials at the exhibition of his Contemporary Calligraphy collections at the MIA Al Riwaq in Doha, yesterday. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
More than 200 intricate calligraphic artworks dating from the 1960s to the present are on display at the Contemporary Calligraphy – Mehmet Cebi Collection which opened yesterday at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq.
The exhibition, which runs until June 17 brings together one of the finest collections of its kind collected by renowned Turkish expert Mehmet Cebi.
“We are excited to showcase one of the finest collections of calligraphic art in the world at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq. Calligraphy is a major form of artistic expression in Islamic culture and history, and highlights our commitment at Qatar Museums to educate and inspire visitors and develop engaged cultural audiences and creators,” said Khalid Al Ibrahim, Chief Strategic Planning Officer at Qatar Museums.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is an assortment of Hilye-i Şerif (The Noble Hilye), a form of classic calligraphic art. Hilye-i Şerif is an ancient form of the tradition of calligraphic expression that originates from Turkey. It is believed that the art of hilye first emerged in Istanbul in the 17th century under the influence of the great Ottoman calligrapher Hafiz Osman.
Such artwork is usually characterised by panelled structures featuring the main text of the prayer or exaltation in a circular central medallion surrounded by various smaller rectangular or circular panels.
Among the stunning calligraphic artworks on display are those by Ahmet Bursali, Gurkan Pehlivan, Hamid Haddadi, Ali Kar'avi and Muzaffer Mahmud.
The show also features a large collection of tesbih (prayer beads), used for ruminative prayer. The prayer beads are made of precious metals and gems such as gold, silver, amber, coral, pearl and emerald.
The exhibition reflects the importance of Mehmet اebi’s vision in developing the collection, which is to deepen understanding and appreciation for the art form around the world.
Mehmet اebi is the founder of the world’s first Noble Hilya and Prayer Beads Museum in Suleymaniye-Istanbul, and has been developing his collection related to classical calligraphy and Noble Hilya with a contemporary approach since the 1990’s. His collections have been exhibited in more than 30 venues in Turkey and abroad.
