Davut Bektas (b.1963)

( b Akoluk, Adana 1963) Turkish calligrapher. Davut Bektas attended the elementary school in Akoluk and continued his education at the ‘Imam-Hatip’ high-school of Adana . In 1981, he was accepted to the law-school of Istanbul University and received his law degree in 1992. During high-school he got interested in the art of Islamic calligraphy and decided to take classes. When he arrived in Istanbul towards the end of 1981 to attend law school, he started Islamic calligraphy lessons with the late Hattat (calligrapher) Yusuf Ergün Erzincani. He studied the script Thuluth with this master for a short period of time. Meeting Hattat Hasan Çelebi in 1982, he started lessons with him in the scripts of Thuluth, Naskh and Rik`a. He received his diploma (ijaza) from his teacher in 1994. Examining the works of previous hattats, like Sami Efendi and Hamid Bey, and benefiting from the works of contemporary hattats, Mr. Bektaş has focused on the script of Jali Thuluth. Uğur Derman, an expert in Islamic calligraphy, gave him some copies of Sami Efendi`s Jali Thuluth writings of which the originals are on the water fountain behind ‘Yeni Cami’ (New Mosque) in Istanbul. Mr. Bektaş greatly benefited from these sources as well as from Şevki Efendi`s Thuluth and Naskh works. These valuable sources have played a special role in the development of his art. Mr. Bektaş has also received lessons in the scripts of Taliq and Diwani from the late Prof. Ali Alparslan between 2002 and 2005. Currently Mr. Bektaş is producing pieces of Islamic calligraphy and is teaching calligraphy classes in Istanbul .

EXHIBITIONS

1984 Exhibition of Calligraphy and Illumination by Contemporary Artists, IRCICA, Istanbul
1989 Birlik Foundation, Istanbul
1989 Bize Art Gallery , Istanbul
1990 Yıldız Palace Art Gallery , Istanbul
1994 MÜSİAD Swiss Otel, Istanbul
1994 Elif Exhibition Gallery, Istanbul
1996 International MÜSİAD Fair, World Trade Centre, Istanbul
1998 International MÜSİAD Fair, TUYAP, Istanbul
2001 International Quran Exhibition, Tahran
2003 Turkish traditional handicrafts exhibition, Fatih University , Istanbul
2003 Calligraphy exhibition, Taksim Art Gallery, Istanbul
2003 The 4th International, Cultural and Artistic Festival, Büyükçekmece municipality, Istanbul
2004 Dubai International Exhibition of the Art of Islamic Calligraphy, Shaikh Saeed House, Dubai
2004 From Past to Future, Bridges Established by Reed and Paintbrush, Cairo , Egypt
2004 Selected Works by Hattat Hasan Çelebi and his students, Maksut Varol Art Gallery , Istanbul .
2004 Dubai International Exhibition of the Art of Arabic
Calligraphy Al-Owais Cultural Foundation, Dubai .
2005 The Music of Letters , Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait (personal exhibition by Davut Bektas)
2005 Turkish Traditional Arts Exhibition, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Art Gallery, Istanbul .
2006 2nd International Biennial for the Art of Arabic calligraphy, Sharjah.
2006 Days of Arabic Calligraphy , Tunisia .
2006 Turkish Traditional Arts Spring Exhibition, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Art Gallery , Istanbul

LIST OF AWARDS

International
In the International Islamic calligraphy competitions organized by IRCICA, Mr. Bektaş received the first prize in Jali Thuluth and honourable mention award in the style of direct imitation in 1986. He was awarded the first prize in Jali Thuluth in 1989 and the first prize in Thuluth in 1993. In 1997 he received the first prize in the Islamic Festival organized in Tahran. In 2006, he won an award at the 2nd International Biennial for the Art of Arabic calligraphy in Sharjah.

National
In 1988, he received the first prize in the Islamic calligraphy competition organized as part of the Gülhane Festival in Istanbul. In 1991 and 1992, he participated in two competitions organized in Urfa and received the first prizes at both organizations.

Gallery Contact:
Konak Mimarlık ve Sanat Hizmetleri
San. Tic. Ltd. Şti
Halıcılar Cad. Kocaoğlu Apt. 38 / 1
Fatih İstanbul
Tel : + 90 212 532 30 39
Faks: + 90 212 532 25 16
konak@konakmimarlik.com


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