Soraya Syed

Soraya Syed Sanders (born 1976)

Early life Soraya Syed was born in London in 1976. In 2001, Syed graduated from the Masters programme in Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts at The Prince's School, London.

Syed studied Arabic calligraphy in Alexandria, Egypt during a year abroad in the second year of her degree program. Having been drawn to Arabic as a language, she sought the opportunity to study the Arabic script as a discipline and embarked on a seven-year apprenticeship in classical Islamic calligraphy. or authoritative calligraphy licence

Career In Istanbul, Syed learnt from different calligraphers whose craft had been passed down from teacher to student throughout the centuries. Among her teachers were the Turkish masters Efdaluddin Kilic and Hasan Celebi. or 'Freedom' at Leighton House Museum in London in 2013, received support from the Arts Council England.

She also created a mobile phone app called Nuqta, which creates a social-led archive of Arabic calligraphy.

Syed produced a holographic and 3D digital installation entitled Pen and the Sword in response to a commission by Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford, as part of their Bradford Museums and Galleries International Art Collection, 2015.

Syed's work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions as well as live calligraphy performances. Her artwork features in both private and public collections in Europe and the Middle East. In addition, she has lectured at various universities and worked with the British Museum, the British Council, and the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. Her work was featured in the film Journey to Mecca.

Personal life Syed moved to London in 2006 and lives with her husband and children there.