Mehmet Özçay was born on July 4, 1961, in Şahinkaya village, Çaykara, Trabzon. He completed his education in Gerede and graduated from Erzurum Atatürk University’s Faculty of Theology in 1986. He studied sülüs and nesih calligraphy under Fuad Başar, earning his ijazah in 1993. Moving to Istanbul in 1986, he began a lifelong mentorship with M. Uğur Derman, which greatly expanded his artistic knowledge and vision.
Özçay gained recognition for his mastery of calligraphy, particularly through his 1992 Quran manuscript, which advanced his nesih script and established calligraphy as his profession. In 2007, he published two albums of his works, Nur-u Aynî and Spoken by The Hand, Heard by The Eye, showcasing 25 years of his career. He has contributed to academic publications on calligraphy, sharing his technical expertise.
In 2015, he led a team of calligraphers to complete the calligraphy for the King Abdullah Expansion Project of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, a significant achievement. In 2018, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Süleyman Demirel University and appointed to the Turkish Presidential Council for Cultural and Artistic Policies.
Known for his innovative use of colored and transparent inks in celî scripts, Özçay has revitalized traditional calligraphy, adding a unique style to classical techniques. His works, spanning sülüs, nesih, and divani scripts, are displayed in museums, collections, and mosques worldwide. He continues to inspire through his art and dedication to teaching future generations.