Calligrapher Huseyin Kutlu's life and works

Calligrapher Hüseyin Kutlu is one of the important representatives of calligraphy today. He has growe up in a scholarly milieu. He completed his higher education at Philosophy Department, Faculty of Science and Letters, Istanbul University. However, leaving behind his dream of progressing in the field of philosophy, he has served as Imam Hatip and has been engaged in art. The most important reason for this is his belief that his service for mosque would be more beneficial as a person who engages in art. The most important place in his life is Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha Mosque where he inaugurated in 1976. He stays on service there until 2002. In the meantime, he brings together the notions of mosque and art. By means of his art, he makes efforts to rehabilitate the mosque as far as he can do. Because, according to him, the functions attributed to mosques, which were the centers of life and heart once upon a time, have been defeated. After this realization, "mosque" constitutes the main focus of his ideas. For him, "Islamic Civilization is not only a bygone nostalgia and the center of this civilization is mosque." With this ideal, he fulfills his service in Ali Pasha Mosque. He tries to flourish the mosque. He brings into life the library as Center of Applied Turkish-Islamic Arts. He dwells on the relationship between architecture and calligraphy. He pays attention to moral rights, stain effect, harmony with other arts and its functionality while he is practicing his art. His consideration on art is not limited to words; he is an artist who puts into practice what he imagines. A calligrapher who shows effort to transfer what he renders into scholarly works as well. This thesis deals with the life and works of Hüseyin Kutlu as a representative of contemporary calligraphy. While doing this, for a better understanding of the subject, some evaluations about the situation of contemporary calligraphy has made.