Erol Balcı (Dai)

He was born in 1973 in Rize. After graduating from Körfez Vocational High School, he attended the calligraphy course of the Provincial Directorate of Culture in 2004 and started Islamic Calligraphy by learning Ruqah writing from Dr. Uğur İnan. In 2005, he started to learn Thuluth and Naskh writings from Prof. Mehmet Memiş within Kocaeli Science Culture and Art Association. He started to work as his teacher's assistant with a stable working order.

Since 2008, he has been teaching Islamic Calligraphy at GESMEK and BKS Association, and since 2012, he has been teaching Islamic Calligraphy at Pendik Ulunlar Foundation and Kocaeli University Cultural Centre. He was granted his ijazah (authorisation) from Calligrapher Prof. Mehmet Memiş in Dhu al-Hijjah 1435 (October 2014) and started to use the pseudonym ‘DAİ’ (the praying one) in his signature with the appreciation of his teacher. In 2013, he received the Artist Certificate from Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He also learnt Jali Taliq and Jali Diwani scripts from Mustafa Parıldar.

In December 2015, he was appointed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and participated in the Calligraphy Workshop in Qatar. He has participated in group exhibitions in various provinces, four of them abroad, and his writings can be found in mosques such as Kuruçeşme Centre, Çayırova Centre, Derince Fatih Kubbeli Mosque, Gebze Centre and Pendik Ulunlar Mosque.