Curriculum Vitae

Ibrahim Justin Batchelder

Personal Details

 
 

Date of Birth: 31st January 1975

Nationality: American

Place of Birth: Morrisville, Vermont, USA

Marital Status: Married

 

EducatioN

 
 

1998-2002

Mimar Sinan University, Istanbul, Turkey Department of Traditional Turkish Arts BA Classical Ottoman Bookbinding with Minor in Tezhip (Illumination) Western and Islamic bookbinding techniques; pathology and restoration; paper marbling; traditional leather paring, gilding, blind tooling and embossing; design and composition of traditional motifs; preparation of materials and application.

 
 

1994-2002

Private Apprenticeship with Husamettin Yivlik (Master woodcarver, inlayer and jeweler, Istanbul) acquisition of skills in relief carving and joinery in various hardwoods, silver inlay; piercing, soldering and basic jewelry techniques.

 
 

1990-1993

The Putney School, Putney, Vermont, USA Studied drawing; painting; printmaking; woodworking sculpture; blacksmithing and jewelry making.

 
 

Employment

 
 

2003-2010

Institute of Traditional Islamic Arts, University of Balqa / WISE University, Amman, Jordan

  • Contributing craftsman for the reconstruction of Salah al-Din Ayyubi Minbar project.

  • Woodworking tutor for 4th-year specialization students and elementary woodworking course.

  • Tutor and curriculum developer for 1st-year foundation course.

 
 

2008-2010

Al-Waqiah Charitable Projects, Jerash, Jordan

  • Project Manager, Harmony Beads Project.

  • Designed and implemented facility to train refugees in the production of prayer beads from locally sourced olive-wood.

 
 

2010-PRESENT

Freelance Designer/Maker

  • Undertaken numerous design projects creating original artwork for print, web, craft and architectural applications.

 
 

2001-PRESENT

Uns Fine Crafts, founder and lead craftsman

  • Designing, sourcing, making and marketing handmade Islamic crafts items including prayer beads, jewelry and natural perfumes.

  • Undertaking private bespoke orders of fine prayer beads made from precious materials including fossilized amber, mammoth tusk and exotic hardwoods.

 
 

Exhibitions/Demonstrations

 
 

1999

Sefer Sefir Project: Ottoman Islamic Art, Norwich, England

 
 

1997

Art in Action, Oxford, England

 
 

1997

Asiya Finans Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey

 
 

1997

Taksim Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey

 
 

1996

The Habitat Conference, Istanbul, Turkey

 
 

Awards

 

The Sabanci award for the highest academic marks in the faculty in 2002 at Mimar Sinan University, Istanbul.

 

Languages

 

  • English - Native language

  • Arabic - Elementary proficiency

  • Turkish - Professional working proficiency