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In the News

Closer Inspection: A steady hand

Calligraphy has been part of Mohamed Zakariya’s life for more than 40 years. Growing up in Southern California, Zakariya converted to Islam at age 19 and soon became entranced by Arabic calligraphy after seeing a piece hanging in a Los Angeles rug shop. His fascination turned into a profession: By the mid-1960s, the self-taught calligrapher was receiving steady work. Here, a look at his craftsmanship. — Kris Coronado

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In 1984, Zakariya traveled to Istanbul, where he studied with renowned Arabic calligrapher Hasan Celebi. Since then, Zakariya has designed a U.S. postage stamp and was commissioned to create a piece for President Obama to give as a gift to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. And Zakariya continues to push himself, creating between 10 and 30 works a year (ranging from $5,000 to $30,000). “As I get older, I get better,” he says. “I’m really hitting my stride now.”

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Zakariya estimates that he uses more than 150 pens, mostly made from reeds, from such places as Turkey and Iraq. “They used to come from Egypt; the real great ones come from Egypt. I got mine in the early ’60s.” Now, most of his pens come from Iran.

Zakariya estimates that he uses more than 150 pens, mostly made from reeds, from such places as Turkey and Iraq. “They used to come from Egypt; the real great ones come from Egypt. I got mine in the early ’60s.” Now, most of his pens come from Iran.

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

The pens don’t come with a ready-made tip, Zakariya says. Instead, calligraphers carve the tips to the desired size and shape. A small crack that is carved into each tip “has to be just right for the ink to flow,” he says.

The pens don’t come with a ready-made tip, Zakariya says. Instead, calligraphers carve the tips to the desired size and shape. A small crack that is carved into each tip “has to be just right for the ink to flow,” he says.

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Aside from accenting pronunciation, dots in Zakariya’s script help him measure the dimensions and proportions of his lettering. He practices a script multiple times to make sure he’s using the appropriate pen to achieve the correct scale. Zakariya has a pretty good idea of how he would like a person to react after seeing his work. “I want to make a piece that when someone sees it, they’re going to want to eat it,” says the 70-year-old Arlington resident with a chuckle.

Aside from accenting pronunciation, dots in Zakariya’s script help him measure the dimensions and proportions of his lettering. He practices a script multiple times to make sure he’s using the appropriate pen to achieve the correct scale. Zakariya has a pretty good idea of how he would like a person to react after seeing his work. “I want to make a piece that when someone sees it, they’re going to want to eat it,” says the 70-year-old Arlington resident with a chuckle.

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Zakariya created this piece between 2008 and 2009. It’s a collection of Hadith Qudsi, the word of God spoken through Muhammad, written in Arabic script. The center quote reads: “Truly My mercy conquers My anger.”

Zakariya created this piece between 2008 and 2009. It’s a collection of Hadith Qudsi, the word of God spoken through Muhammad, written in Arabic script. The center quote reads: “Truly My mercy conquers My anger.”

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Zakariya’s ink comes from places such as Iran and Japan. It must be water-soluble, otherwise he can’t make corrections. He also makes his own ink from the soot of burnt linseed oil and kerosene, which takes six to eight weeks.

Zakariya’s ink comes from places such as Iran and Japan. It must be water-soluble, otherwise he can’t make corrections. He also makes his own ink from the soot of burnt linseed oil and kerosene, which takes six to eight weeks.

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

To keep the ink that he made nine years ago from drying out, he places raw Chinese silk in the ink jar. “It’s basically a sponge,” he says. The silk also allows him to control how much ink he gets in his pens.

To keep the ink that he made nine years ago from drying out, he places raw Chinese silk in the ink jar. “It’s basically a sponge,” he says. The silk also allows him to control how much ink he gets in his pens.

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Once the ink dries, Zakariya polishes it with an agate stone burnisher to give it a semigloss appearance. If the ink “weren’t a simple soot ink,” he says, “[the burnisher] would snatch it and scratch it all over the place. It would tear it up.”

Once the ink dries, Zakariya polishes it with an agate stone burnisher to give it a semigloss appearance. If the ink “weren’t a simple soot ink,” he says, “[the burnisher] would snatch it and scratch it all over the place. It would tear it up.”

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Zakariya creates his own ahar (coated paper). He dyes white paper with the likes of tea, ground buckthorn berries, annatto seed and onion skins in water. He also treats it with starches and eggs. Once it’s dried, the paper is polished and aged for a year or more.

Zakariya creates his own ahar (coated paper). He dyes white paper with the likes of tea, ground buckthorn berries, annatto seed and onion skins in water. He also treats it with starches and eggs. Once it’s dried, the paper is polished and aged for a year or more.

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

To make marbled paper, he creates a gel-like mixture of water and tragacanth, a natural gum, then adds paint and ox gall (bovine gall fluid) to the surface. He creates a pattern in the mixture using wire and lays paper atop the surface to transfer the design.

To make marbled paper, he creates a gel-like mixture of water and tragacanth, a natural gum, then adds paint and ox gall (bovine gall fluid) to the surface. He creates a pattern in the mixture using wire and lays paper atop the surface to transfer the design.

Benjamin C. Tankersley / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

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