Today we’d like to introduce you to Jie Mi.
Hi Jie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers? It might be a surprise that I am good at Arabic calligraphy as a Chinese. A significant reason for this is my Muslim background, which exposed me to a wealth of knowledge about the culture from a young age. Furthermore, my introduction to Arabic calligraphy came from my parents. Ever since I can remember, they would often engage in various calligraphic art forms, and I would occasionally join or playfully disrupt their practice sessions. In addition, upon my middle school graduation, my parents sent me to Cairo, Egypt, for the summer vacation to reward my academic efforts. Unbeknownst to me, they had pre-arranged lessons with a traditional Arabic calligraphy teacher named Belaid Hamid. During my one month in Cairo, I spent three-quarters of my time practicing calligraphy and attending classes. That experience deepened my religious faith and sowed the seeds of my passion for calligraphy. Upon returning from Egypt, I began to study Arabic calligraphy art more systematically and continuously.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road? While the best way to learn calligraphy is in person, after returning from Egypt to China, I had to continue my high school education. As a result, I could only send my calligraphy works via email for weekly corrections. However, two years later, due to some family circumstances of my teacher, I had to halt my studies. Additionally, the lack of practical application for my calligraphy skills led to a significant decline in my motivation to learn. Studying calligraphy is a long and often tedious journey. The fact that hardly any of my peers were engaged in the same pursuit made the learning process somewhat lonely. Later, when I moved to the United States for college, I had less time and opportunity to delve deeper into the art.
At the end of 2019, I failed a university course, so I had to wait another year to graduate. I decided to take a semester off and travel to Turkey to study calligraphy under the guidance of Ferhat Kurlu Hoca and Mümtaz Seçkin Durdu Hoca. However, with the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, what was initially planned as a 4-month study turned into ten months due to the inability to purchase return tickets. Meantime, those ten months reignited my profound interest in Arabic calligraphy.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do? I am an Arabic calligraphy enthusiast from China. I have completed the Ruqaa calligraphy course and am studying Thuluth, Naskh, Mushaf, and Sini. I aim to conduct classes for three of these scripts by next year. My most muscular proficiency lies in Thuluth, one of the most challenging Arabic calligraphy styles to master. As a Chinese enthusiast of Arabic calligraphy, my most significant advantage is my dual understanding of Arabic and Chinese cultures. This is especially significant given that, over a thousand years ago, Arabic script incorporated many elements of Chinese culture, leading to the emergence of the Sini style.
Unlike traditional Arabic calligraphy, which demands meticulous precision with each letter adhering to strict guidelines, the art style of Sini is the exact opposite – it’s free-flowing and unrestrained. Furthermore, the dimensions of Sini’s writings are often larger than 20 inches. As a result, my work strikes a balance between rigorous precision and artistic freedom.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years? Arabic calligraphy has always been handcrafted, reflecting the personal consciousness of each artist. However, with the surge in AI and Graphic Computing (AIGC), there’s potential for calligraphers’ livelihoods to be impacted. Yet, I believe technology should always serve humanity, not replace it. The advent of new technologies can assist artists in quickly determining the positioning and direction of their work. Especially now, as more and more people rely on computers or smartphones for communication, handcrafted art pieces will only appreciate rather than depreciate.
Pricing:
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Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jimmy-mi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahmed_jie/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jie-mi/
