Izzy Pludwinski

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Izzy Pludwinski has been working in the field of Hebrew calligraphy for over 30 years - teaching and working as a freelance calligrapher. Beginning his writing career as a Sofer STaM (Hebrew scribe) he continued his studies at the Roehampton Institute in London, before returning to Jerusalem. He set up calligraphy courses in both London and Jerusalem and offers a correspondence course in Hebrew calligraphy. His varied commissions include work for the President's Office, inscription of the dedication page on the Bible presented to the Pope by the Israeli government, lettering for the Yakar Synagogue in Jerusalem and doing the writing for the Moriah Haggadah and the Jerusalem Haggadah. He also produces original ketubot and calligraphic Judaic artwork, and his work has appeared many times in the prestigious Letter Arts Review annual. Keeping up with the digital age, he has developed several Hebrew fonts of which he has licensed one - "Shir", to Masterfont. His present book, Mastering Hebrew Calligraphy, was written because he felt there was no up-to-date, comprehensive book which showed good quality lettering, taught in detail the finer points of the craft, and showcased some the great works in contemporary and historic Hebrew calligraphy. He is ever seeking new creative forms for the Hebrew aleph-bet, which has led to some interesting work in abstract Hebrew calligraphy. His present interest lies in the use of calligraphy as a meditative device for spiritual growth. His work can be seen at www.impwriter.com He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and two beautiful daughters.