From May 16 to June 1, a good friend of the institute from Beloit College, her colleague, and students visited Senegal. The West African Calligraphy Institute was happy to help prepare parts of their program and host them at the West African Research Center in Dakar.
From Fallou:
I would like to share a brief report on the recent visit of the Beloit College student group to our institute.
We first gave them a warm welcome and presented them with a calligraphy artwork as a gift to commemorate their visit. We then discussed the mission of our calligraphy institute, our future projects, and the activities we carry out in the field using our own resources.
Finally, we guided them through our exhibition, which was organized into four main sections:
The 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet and their meanings;
The Holy Quran and its connection to the art of calligraphy;
The Xassaides, the poetic writings of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba;
Calligraphic works conveying messages on important social themes.
The students showed great interest in our work, and the exchange was both engaging and enriching for everyone involved.
Alhumdulilah and thanks again to Reed Society, Dahira Touba Taawun from Dallas, and all our teachers, participants, artists, and everyone at Dar al Islam. A very special thanks to Moutapha Diop for his support and lecture on the meaning in Serigne Touba’s work. May Allah bless us all that we may continue to nurture our community and grow through this work!
May Allah bless him and his family for always speaking the truth. Check out this video shot at Dar al Islam where we hosted our 2024 and 2025 retreats.
Dear Supporters of the West African Calligraphy Institute,
We are happy to announce significant progress in the long-coming construction of the physical Calligraphy Institute in Sangalkam, Ndiakhirate, Senegal. Thanks to acquisitions in 2023, fundraising in 2024, and a significant anonymous donation in 2025 we were able to finally begin the construction of the first floor of the Institute. Starting in March of this year we refortified the existing foundations of the building and start building upwards.
By April 2025 the walls of the building were up, and the basic layout of the classrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen began to take shape. The building was blessed and prayed in, and we made arrangements for the installation of the Septic system, connecting the walls, and making fortifications for the pouring of the ceiling.
Finally, by May we were able to also pay for the pouring of the ceiling of the first level/floor of the second level. This is called “coulee” in Senegal, and was very exciting for us to see because we can begin to imagine what the classrooms, studio, and other rooms will be like. Additionally, with the ceiling completed we can also begin to imagine what the second floor can be.
To date, the foundation work, structural masonry, and concrete casting have all been completed. The only work remaining is the finishing phase.
The finishing works include:
Plastering;
Electrical installation;
Plumbing;
Floor and wall tiling;
Installation of doors and windows;
Painting;
As well as all other necessary finishing works.
Alhumdulilah, jerejef Serigne Touba, and great thanks to all of our friends and supporters who helped us to make it this far. Please let us know if you would like to contribute or help in any way, and, inshallah, we will be able to start teaching classes and hosting guests very soon!
Dear Colleagues and Supporters of the West African Calligraphy Institute,
As-Salamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu. Thank you for supporting the art of Arabic calligraphy, African artists, contemporary artistic movements from Africa, Islamic art, and the work of the West African Calligraphy Institute. We are presenting this letter in the hopes of finding a sponsor or sponsors to help us expand the capacity of the Institute.
The West African Calligraphy Institute was established in 2012 by internationally renowned artist and activist Yelimane Fall. Since its inception, Mr. Fall and his partner Saliou Pelafas have designed and implemented numerous workshops, exhibitions, projects, lectures, and presentations across Senegal and the United States. Although Mr. Fall passed in 2019, the work of the Institute continues, led by Yelimane’s son and apprentice Fallou Fall and Mr. Pelafas. Our mission remains centered on community development through arts education, raising awareness of social issues in Senegal and abroad, and the empowerment of young people, all through the cultural preservation of Arabic calligraphic forms indigenous to West Africa.
Alhumdulilah, in 2023/2024 after significant acquisitions of Yelimane’s artworks by the University of North Carolina and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Institute was able to fully acquire the rights to the land. The foundations for our building have already been laid. To complete the first floor, we need approximately $24,000 USD. The institute will serve as a research center, school, studio, and gallery space. The school will educate young people regarding the history and artistry of Arabic and West African calligraphy, while the research center will host international researchers, artists, and calligraphers to produce academic and creative works in the region.
We at the West African Calligraphy Institute are guided by the teachings of Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba. Bamba emphasized non-violence, hard work, and education, and these values infuse all of our activities. Your support is a blessing from Allah, and directly empowers young people, Muslim people, African people, and Islam as a religion of understanding, knowledge, and peace. If you wish to assist or sponsor the institute please contact us to discuss further details and collaboration opportunities.
You can also contribute by purchasing artworks or collections by Yelimane Fall, whose pieces are featured in esteemed institutions such as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Ackland Museum at UNC Chapel Hill, the Fowler Museum at UCLA, Brown University, the University of Illinois, and others.
Should you have any inquiries, please reach out to Fallou Fall at message_foi@yahoo.fr or Saliou Pelafas at lampfall40@gmail.com. We appreciate your support, and may Allah’s blessings be with you and your family.
Friday started with a lecture by Cheikh Mame Mortalla Mbacke from the Atlanta dahira and Saliou Pelafas regarding the development of Sufism in West Africa, the history of Ahmadou Bamba, the evolution of the West African Arabic Script, and the role of Bamba’s poetry and Senegalese culture in the works of Yelimane Fall.This was followed by the Friday prayer with the Khutbah delivered by Cheikh Mbacke.
In the afternoon students gathered in the courtyard to listen to Khassaides recited by our friend and devoted taalibe Serigne Saliou N’Doye from Dahira Touba Taawun (Dallas), and interpreted by Cheikh Mbacke and Moutapha Diop (also from the Dallas dahira). The West African calligraphy institue cannot express enough gratitude to the Dallas dahira and Cheikh Mbacke for attending the retreat and sharing their knowledge, devotion, and expertise.
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday included workshops in the Turkish Thuluth style with Nuria Garica Masip, the Persian Nastaliq style with Bahman Panahi, a hike at the Ghost Ranch, and nightly gatherings by the campfire, at the archery range, or at dinnertime. Alhumdulilah for such a beautiful and enlightening weekend, and special thanks to Reed Society, all our teachers, all the participants, and everyone at Dar al Islam. We hope to see you all again next year, inshallah!
In conjunction with the Reed Society for Sacred Arts, the West African Calligraphy Institute would like to invite any and all to our inaugural calligraphy retreat and gathering at Dar al Islam in Abiquiu, New Mexico. As non-profit organizations we believe an important part of our mission is to build community around and through the sacred arts, including calligraphy. We envision this gathering as a way to broaden the scope of our work, embody inclusivity around the diversity of Islamic practices from around the world, and to engage those in calligraphy and Islamic art circles through practice and community. It is our hope that participants include interested persons, aspiring calligraphers, museum curators, academics, like-minded organizations, and in general people who would like to spend some intimate time with the calligraphic form or who already do so as a practice or for a living. Please check back here for updates to the itinerary.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, presented awards at the event. Photo: Al Burda Awards
This November and December it was our privilege to represent the Republic of Senegalas the Guest of Honor at the 17th Al Burda Awards, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Youth of the United Arab Emirates. The West African Calligraphy Institute was recognized for its work in cultural sustainability and preservation in the art of Arabic Calligraphy. Fallou was invited to Abu Dhabi in November to represent the institute as a juror in the category of Modern Arabic Calligraphy.
On December 20, 2023 at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of Culture and Youth hosted the Al Burda award ceremony. Fallou was present to receive the Al Burda award on behalf of the Institute, and we organized a well received exhibition of 11 of Yelimane’s artworks in the gallery where the ceremony took place. The evening was attended by many, including the Minister of Culture for the Republic of Senegal and other Senegalese artists. Alhumdulilah for this beautiful gathering of Islamic Art, artists, poets, calligrapers, and cultural ministers from around the world. We are grateful to Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Mr. Mahmood Al Najjar, and all of the people that made this year’s awards and ceremony possible.
From September to December 2022, Fallou travelled to Nigeria to study the Tuluth and Naskh scripts with Hattat Yeshua. We are also laying the foundations for future collaboration, and we thank Mr. Abdullahi for his hospitality, wisdom, and work.We also wish a big congratulations on graduating the first class from the school! May Allah bless Hattat Yeshua and all of his students, and may their beautiful calligraphy bring peace to whomever sees it!
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West African Calligraphy Institute 