An Ottoman Turkish poem, Garden of Happiness
Framed: H. 26 1/4 in × W. 22 1/2 in × D. 1 1/2 in (66.7 cm × 57.2 cm × 3.8 cm)
Mohamed Zakariya, an American from California, is today recognized as a master of Arabic and Ottoman Turkish calligraphy. Zakariya first studied calligraphy in North Africa and independently at the British Museum in the early 1960s.
In 1984, he was invited to study with two world-renowned Turkish master calligraphers in Istanbul. His expertise in Ottoman Turkish calligraphy as well as the Turkish technology of marbling is beautifully exemplified in this rendering of a poem "Garden of Happiness," and its decorative border. Today, Zakariya continues to practice his art in the U.S. where he regularly holds exhibitions across the country.
Throughout the Muslim world, great calligraphers have always been highly respected for their high level of artistic accomplishment.
