Tahsin Kurt

Hattat

Birth Date H. 1385
M. 1965

Birth Place Van

Photos

About Artist

Born in Van in 1965, Tahsin Kurt began studying Quranic sciences at a madrasa in Isparta in the early 1980s, where he also learned about recitation and Islamic jurisprudence. His interest in art emerged during this period, and he would spend his time imitating various works of art that came into his possession. In the late 1980s, Kurt moved to Istanbul and began working at the Hayrat Publishing House. His passion for calligraphy led him to devote his free time to this art form. Recognizing his talent and dedication, a senior colleague introduced him to the renowned calligrapher Hasan Çelebi, from whom he studied riqa and naskh for approximately two years. However, when Kurt was conscripted into the military in 1985 and returned to find his teacher abroad, he continued his studies under Professor Ali Alparslan. Within three or four years, he was granted an ijazah (certificate of mastery) in taliq calligraphy from Alparslan. While continuing his taliq studies with Alparslan, Kurt sought permission to study thuluth with Hüseyin Kutlu in 1994, receiving his ijazah in thuluth in 2001. Kurt has achieved numerous accolades in various calligraphy competitions. In 1997, he received honorable mentions in both the naskh, taliq and jali taliq categories at the IRCICA calligraphy competition. He was also awarded two achievement prizes in the taliq category at the Ministry of Culture's competitions in 1999 and 2001. In 2005, he won first place in the jali taliq category at the Albaraka Turkish Calligraphy Competition.