This workshop focuses on explanations of the historical past, materials and application methods of the traditional art of Calligraphy as well contemporary practice.
Practiced with classical methods throughout centuries, Islamic Calligraphy (Hat) indeed started to find new life through new interpretations with the advent of contemporary arts. The phenomenon of writing, a leading aspect of communication, has been attempted to be perfected around the world thus giving birth to the art of beautiful writing (Calligraphy).
Islamic Calligraphy is no doubt one of the leading one among the various arts of writing. We aim to briefly introduce this art of calligraphy, which is applied through its unique training and practice to wider audiences to give them a general idea.
Savaş Çevik was born in 1953 in Akseki, Antalya. Completing his postgraduate study at İstanbul State Academy of Fine Arts Graphics Department in 1976, he started teaching in the same department as the assistant of his professor Emin Barın. Çevik finished his PhD dissertation on Latin Script in 1983 and became assistant professor in 1986 specializing in “Script Design”.
Çevik started to work on calligraphy in 1973, practicing rik’a and tâlîk with Kemal Batanay and sülüs and nesih with Hamit Aytaç, both famous calligraphers of the previous century. He continued his training on calligraphy until the demise of both calligraphers. Later he practiced dîvânî and celî dîvânî with calligrapher Prof. Ali Alparslan. In the meanwhile, he frequently came together with his professor Emin Barın and calligraphy specialist Prof. Uğur Derman, thus enhancing his knowledge and experience on the art of Calligraphy.
In 1986, Çevik received the first prize and two mentions in the International Calligraphy Competition in the name of Hamit Aytaç, organized by the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA). He has over thirty different national and international awards in the fields of calligraphy and graphics, as well as various works in plaque, ornament, tughra, mosque inscription, imperial edict and similar forms in collections in Turkey and abroad.
Retiring from Mimar Sinan University upon his own will in 2002, Çevik has been a faculty member of the Graphics department he founded at Haliç University as well as pursuing his calligraphy practice in his studio in Istanbul.
Until April 2008, Savaş Çevik has opened 22 personal calligraphy exhibitions in various countries and participated in 84 group exhibitions.