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, in particular, 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 being deliver 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.
West African Calligraphy Institute 