Khaled Alsaai

Born Homs, Syria, 1970

Al-Saai is from a family of musicians and art critics. He studied painting at the University of Damascus, obtaining a BA in 1995 and an MA with distinction in 1997. In 1998 he studied calligraphy with Hasan Çelebi and received a certificate in calligraphy from the Islamic History,Art and Culture research centre (IRCICA) in Istanbul. Since 1997 he has taught Islamic art and calligraphy courses at the University of Michigan, 2002–5, and elsewhere. Al-Saai has participated in group and individual exhibitions around the world, including a solo exhibition at the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, 2001, and Michigan Museum of Art, 2002. He has won many awards, including the first prize of Diwani Jali Style,Tehran, Iran, 1997; the modernity prize for Arabic calligraphy at the first Biennial for Arabic Calligraphy in the Arab World, Sharjah, 2004; the most prestigious award in Diwani Jali style at the Al Baraka Bank Competition in Istanbul, 2005; and the Classic Calligraphy Prize, second Biennial of Calligraphy in the Arab World, Sharjah, 2006. Current projects include an invitation to co-curate the 2008 Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial and exhibitions in Quebec, 2007, and Zurich, 2008. He lives and works in Sharjah.