Famous Turkish Artists

Turkish artist Mustafa Ayaz was among the first names that came to mind in contemporary Turkish painting. The artist mostly focused his artwork on women, depicting female figures in a chaos-like composition. One of his most important artworks is his painting Kırmızı Çoraplı Kadın (Woman in Red Stockings). The painting, with its dominant color combination and emphasis on chaos, is one of the artist’s works that has become a symbol.

Turkish artist and archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey is the founder of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Faculty and Istanbul Archaeological Museum. Among his most famous artworks is his painting Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi (The Tortoise Trainer). The painting depicts the tired state of an intellectual attempting to modernize a backward society. The artist paints two versions of this painting; in the first of the paintings, which he made in 1906 and 1907, he includes 5 turtles, and in the second, 6 turtles.

Turkish artist Ibrahim Calli studied art at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. The artist developed his own unique painting language being influenced by the Impressionist art movement. One of the most important artworks that played an important role in developing the understanding of contemporary painting in Turkey is his work titled Üsküdar. The painter, skillfully uses different colors in his palette, attracts attention with the harmony of colors and the reality of the image.

Turkish artist Abidin Dino was one of the leading names in Turkish art. He was a versatile artist and met Picasso. The artist developed a unique style interpreting traditional Turkish patterns from a modern outlook. Dino experienced the great upheavals of the 20th century, including two world wars, social revolutions, and the end of empires, and bore witness to all these episodes of world history in words, lines, colors, and shapes.Among his best known paintings Uzun Yuruyus (Long March) depicts the trauma of war.

Turkish artist Devrim Erbil developed a unique style blending the Eastern and Turkish understanding of art in his paintings. The artist focused on birds, cities, nature, and human views. He combines a bird’s eye view into a composition with lines and mostly works on a single-color background. His painting titled Istanbul is one of the most important works of the artist, which brings together the characteristic features of his artworks.

Turkish artist Mihri Musfik Hanim is a painter who pioneered the training of female painters. She was known as the first female painter to initiate contemporary painting in Turkey. Hanim stands out with her portraits of politicians, pashas, and men of letters. She also creates paintings of women and babies. One of Mihri Müşfik Hanım’s most interesting works is a portrait of a woman called Veiled Woman.

Turkish artist Nuuri Iyem (artwork pictured above) painted portraits of women, migration from village to city, and scenes from slum life. Among his most important artworks are his portraits of Anatolian women called Uz Guzeller, or Three Graces. The painting, which draws attention with its references to Greek and Roman mythology, is seen as a symbol of the painter’s understanding of art.

Turkish artist Fikret Muala was influenced by the French artist Henry Matisse’s use of color. Art movements that were of influence were cubism, Russian constructivism, German and Japanese printmaking, and expressionism. The joy of life is dominant in his paintings, which convey the reflection of his inner world and emotions without adhering to reality. He deals with various subjects such as streets, hotels, women, and hospitals in his paintings. His painting, Caz Orkestrası (The Jazz Band), is one of his important artworks that depicts musicians and attracts attention with its use of color.

Turkish artist Seker Ahmet Pasha, by their real name Ahmet Ali, was sent to Paris by Sultan Abdulaziz to study art. He is the first Turkish artist to have his artwork accepted to the Louvre Museum. He is best known for his still lifes, and among his most important artworks is Ormanda Oduncu, or Woodcutter in the Forest.