The Calligrapher

Sidi Mothanna Al-Obaidi is an award-winning calligrapher and world-renowned artist who has exhibited his work around the globe. He holds a PhD in Arabic Calligraphy from the Dar Assalam College in Turkey (2015).

Born in Ramadi, Iraq, Sidi Mothanna has dedicated his life to Islamic art, showcasing his unique mastery and magnificent contributions to Arabic calligraphy across the Arab, Islamic and Western worlds.

In 2024, he completed the first five verses of Sūrah Al-ʿAdiyāt using various inks on paper meticulously coloured by hand, displaying a complex style coupled with an intricate attention to detail, combining traditional and modern scripts.

Between 2020 and 2023, he created ‘The Mushaf of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’ (Mushaf Al-Fath), having already developed the calligraphy for ‘Mushaf al-Faisal’.

Earning accolades for his exquisite craftsmanship at exhibitions around the globe, Sidi Mothanna has won several prestigious international awards, such as the Iraqi Innovation award for Iraqi Art (1999), the Burda Prize for Arabic Calligraphy (2009) and the Okaz Prize for Islamic Art (2010).

Sidi Mothanna has been a judge for numerous international Islamic art competitions, including the Islamic Art Forum in Oman, Al-Burda Prize in Abu Dhabi, Raqeem International Prize in Qatar and the IRCICA International Competition in Turkey.

Sidi Mothanna currently works as a mentor at the Science For All Centre in Amman, Jordan, supporting and inspiring a new generation of calligraphy enthusiasts.