"Osman ÖZÇAY

Trabzon’un Çaykara ilçesinde doğdu (1963), ilk ve orta tahsilini ağabeyi ile (Mehmet Özçay ) beraber Gerede’de ikmal etti. 1980 yılında Erzurum Yüksek İslam Enstitüsü’nde iki yıl okuduktan sonra öğrenimini Marmara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesine nakletti ve oradan mezun oldu(1986).

Hat sanatına karşı önceleri hususi bir ilgisi bulunmazken, 1982’de ağabeyinin Fuat Başar’a ilk gidişinde yanında bulundu ve o anda duyduğu bir arzuyla o da, sülüs meşkine başladı ve meşkini tamamlayarak sülüs - nesihten icazet aldı. İstanbul’a geldiğinde tanıştığı M. Uğur Derman’dan çok istifade etti. Onun kendisine verdiği Sami Efendi’ye ait Yeni Cami Sebili kitabesi kalıplarının sureti, Osman Özçay’ın celi sülüste en büyük rehberi oldu.

İslam Konferansı Teşkilatı’na bağlı İslam Kültür Mirasını Koruma Komisyonu’nun sekreterliğini yapan İslam, Tarih, Sanat ve Kültür Araştırma Merkezi (IRCICA)’nin düzenlemiş olduğu birinci (1986) ve ikinci (1989) milletlerarası hat müsabakalarında, başta Celi Sülüs ve Sülüs dalları olmak üzere, çeşitli dallarda ikincilik, üçüncülük derecesinde toplam 5 mükafat kazandı. 1997’de Kuveyt Şehit Bürosunun düzenlediği “Şehit Kültür Yarışması”nda birincilik ödülü aldı.

Ağabeyi Mehmet Özçay’la beraber 1996’da İstanbul’da, 1998 Abu Dhabi’de, 1999 Sharjah’da, 2003 Dubai’de özel sergiler açtı. Dubai’de, Turizm ve Ticari Pazarlama Dairesinin IRCICA ile birlikte 2003, 2004, 2005’te tertip ettiği sergilere, 2003 Tokyo hat sergisine, 1997,2006 Tunus Arap Hattı Günlerine katıldı. Ayrıca birçok yurt içi ve yurt dışı sergilere iştirak etti.

Özel koleksiyonlarda ve müzelerde yer alan eserlerini klasik anlayışa göre sülüs, celi sülüs, nesih ve muhakkak ile yazmaktadır.

"Osman ÖZÇAY

Calligrapher Osman Özçay was born in Çaykara, in the province of Trabzon in 1963. He attended the same school as his brother Mehmet in Gerede and finished high-school there. After studying at the Islamic Institute in Erzurum for two years, he transferred to the Islamic Studies Department of Marmara University in Istanbul. He graduated in 1986.

In 1982, even though he did not have a special interest in Islamic calligraphy, he joined his brother when he first visited calligrapher Fuat Başar. He was suddenly attracted to the art and he started lessons in the script Thuluth the same day. He later received his diploma in the scripts of thuluth and naskh from his teacher.

When he came to Istanbul, he met M.Uğur Derman from whom he has benefited greatly throughout the years. Mr. Derman gave him some copies of Sami Efendi`s Jali Thuluth writings which were written for a public water fountain behind `Yeni Cami` (New Mosque) in Istanbul. These sources served as the most important guide in learning the script of Jali Thuluth.

In the first (1986) and second (1989) international competitions organized by The Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) which serves as the secretaryship of The Commission for the Preservation of Islamic Cultural Heritage associated with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, he received five awards, gaining second and third prizes in various scripts including Jali Thuluth and Thuluth. He won the first prize at the calligraphy competition organized by the Maktab al-Shahid Kuwaiti institute in 1997.

Osman Özçay has participated in personal exhibitions with his brother Mehmet Özçay in Istanbul (1996), Abu Dhabi (1998), Sharjah (1999), and Dubai (2003). He has also taken part in the exhibitions organized by IRCICA in association with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2003, he participated in the calligraphy exhibition in Tokyo and joined some other calligraphers on The Days of Arabic Calligraphy in Tunisia in 1997 and 2006. He has also participated in various exhibitions in Turkey and abroad.

Osman Özçay is producing works in the styles of thuluth, jali thuluth, naskh and muhaqqaq according to the classical approach. Throughout the years his pieces of calligraphy have entered museums and special collections.