Ferhat Kurlu was born in Fatsa in 1976. He completed his primary education in his hometown and his secondary education in Samsun Lâdik Akpınar Anatolian Teacher High School. He was introduced to the art of calligraphy in 1993, in the 2nd year of On Dokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Theology, with an elective Illumination ornamentation course, and his interest in classical Turkish Islamic arts started in this period. He took his first ruqah lessons during this period.

In 1996, with the guidance of Calligrapher Mümtaz Durdu, he met his teacher Hasan Çelebi and started to learn thuluth-naskh. After four years of lessons, he received his thuluth-naskh ijazah (authorisation) at the ijazah ceremony held at IRCICA in October 2000. In the same year, he started to participate in competitions and exhibitions. In 2010, he received his Taliq ijazah from his teacher Hasan Çelebi.

Ferhat Kurlu, who was awarded 11 prizes in national and international competitions, participated in more than fifty solo and group exhibitions in Türkiye and abroad, some of which he organised himself. For 13 years, the artist has been giving calligraphy lessons at IRCICA and has worked in many mosques. He continues his works in his personal workshop in Ümraniye, Istanbul.