Introduction to Islamic Geometric Design (Udemy.com)

I'm a leading expert on Islamic geometric design. I've published threepopular books on the subject, that have sold over 30,000 copies worldwide and are available in English, French, Farsi, Turkish and Dutch.
I feel passionate about reviving the spirit of creative innovation and excellence that characterises the art and architecture of, for example, the Mamluk, Ghurid and Seljuk eras. For craftsmen in these eras, it was not enough to recreate a composition, they instead made new compositions, they innovated and took Islamic geometric design to a new level. Through my books and workshops, I try to make a contribution to the revival of such a creative attitude to this subject.
My passion for Islamic Geometric Design started when I was living in Amsterdam in my early twenties. The initial appeal for me of Islamic geometric design was that it offered scope for creativity, for learning, and for historical study. I committed myself to Islamic geometric design and 25 years later, I still am equally committed to it. After ten years in Amsterdam of teaching myself this subject, I moved to London to study at the Prince's School of Traditional Arts and later at SOAS. My focus has changed since I moved to the UK: I am now especially interested in teaching this subject using the same approach craftsmen have used for centuries: with a pair of compasses and a ruler. Traditional craftsmen didn't calculate angles to make their geometrical compositions, they weren't mathematicians.