Gunhan Bozkurt - Siyah Kalem

SIYAH KALEM

As I studied the works attributed to Siyah Kalem — preserved today in the Fatih Albums of Topkapi Palace — my admiration grew. This inspired me to reinterpret the creations of this mysterious artist on ceramic surfaces.

Nothing is known about the life of Mehmet Siyah Kalem. He is not mentioned in any historical documents, and even his real name remains uncertain. The phrase “Siyah Kalem” (literally “Black Pen”) is thought to have been used to describe the extraordinary expressive power of his drawing style.

Islamic art historian Richard Ettinghausen suggested that Siyah Kalem’s paintings were produced in a region distant from the refined centers of court art, yet still under the influence of Chinese culture. He concluded that this was not Persia, but possibly Transoxania — a crossroads where Muslims, Brahmins, Buddhists, Shamanists, and Christians coexisted.