Welcome!

May peace be upon you,

Welcome! I’m new to the world of blogging so excuse me while I get a little settled and used to things here. I wanted to create this space to share some resources for traditional Arabic calligraphy, and although Instagram and Facebook are fun, I thought that blog posts would help keep things a bit more organized and accessible.

So let’s begin! I’m Sehar, an artist with an immense passion for traditional Arabic calligraphy (maybe that much was obvious?) I’m originally from Toronto and moved to San Francisco a couple of years ago. In school, I had majored in psychology, minored in French and political science, and then studied HR — I was clearly really confused about what I was doing because all I wanted to do was calligraphy.

For as long as I can remember I have loved drawing and painting, and it’s been about 10 years since my journey with Arabic calligraphy began. The first time I tried it, I immediately fell in love with the intricate lines, delicate curves, and the innate beauty of Arabic calligraphy, and I knew right away that I wanted to learn this art and excel in it. Over the years I have had the opportunity to share my passion through workshops and exhibitions, and have been able work on so many different projects — projects from the size of my palm, and to the size of 40-foot high mosque domes.

My dream, however, is to become a master in this art; to earn my ijaza (a traditional calligraphy certification granted to a student from their master), and then to continue sharing my passion with others as far and wide as I possibly can. As I work towards this goal now more than ever, I’d love to also tell you more about traditional calligraphy — its rich history, its unique tools and materials, the different script styles, and more about the process of learning this art.

If you read this far, now I’d love to hear something about you. Where are you from? Or maybe you could tell me if you’ve ever tried Arabic calligraphy? Are there any questions about calligraphy that I can try to answer in upcoming posts? Let me know in the comments!

PS. You can learn more about me here, and also check out some of my work in my gallery.