İslam Seçen is graduated from Istanbul Fine Arts Academy’s High Decorative Arts Department.

He took classic binding lessons from Prof. Sacit Okyay, and modern binding and calligraphy lessons from Prof. Emin Barın.

He started to work in binding department of Süleymaniye Library in 1961 and he was invited to Lisbon along with Prof. Emin Barın and Rikkat Kunt, in order to participate in works of restoration of Islamic scriptures in Gulbenkyan Museum in 1969.

He served as a chief expert in Süleymaniye Library’s Binding and Pathology Department between 1973 - 1988. He started teaching Turkish Binding arts at The Traditional Turkish Arts Section at the Department of Decorative Arts of the State Academy of Fine Arts in 1977. 

He worked as a lecturer at the Binding Arts section in Traditional Turkish Arts Department of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University between 1989-2001. Seçen still continues teaching classic binding at the same department. He also teaches at ISMEK educational institution and in his personal atelier.