Artweeks XII. Edition

Su Alara Acerol

Su Alara Acerol is an archaeologist, art historian and a painter. She graduated from Bilkent University Archaeology and History of Art Department with a full scholarship, she later finished her MA at Koç University Department of Archaeology and History of Art (formerly Anatolian Civilizations and Cultural Heritage Management) with a full scholarship as well. She worked in rescue excavations in different parts of the World. In 2015 she entered Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Painting Department for her second BA. In 2019 she graduated as valedictorian and received first place award from Sakıp Sabancı Art Awards. Since then she has joined many group exhibitions and received several art awards. Her paintings and engravings are in numerous private collections as well as in the Cyprus Modern Art Museum’s collection. She opened her first solo exhibition at Istanbul Concept Gallery in October 2020. She is opening her second solo exhibition with Istanbul Concept Gallery in October 2022.

Hakan Cingöz

Born in 1977, the artist graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Painting in 2004 and attended the Lithography Workshop at the same university between 2005-2008. In 2008, he completed his master's degree at MSGSU Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Painting. In 2004, he won the first prize in the "İpek-Ahmet Merey Painting Competition" and in 2007 he won the "Nuri İyem Painting Award". 

Since 2009, the artist has participated in many solo and group exhibitions and currently lives and works in Istanbul.

Gökhan Deniz

Born in Istanbul in 1974. She graduated from the Department of Art Education, Faculty of Fine Arts, Marmara University, in 1997.

Following the 1999 Marmara earthquake, the artist took part in active civil society work focusing on human rights violations and children living under risk. She has conducted visual arts workshops in prisons and mental health institutions.

Saygun Dura

Saygun Dura, born in 1964, worked as a photographer and photograph director in an advertising agency in the years between 1989 and 1996. Since then, he has been continuing his career as advertising photographer in his own studio. Dura, who has given seminars on advertising and creative ohotography also has given the lectures called "Advertising Photography, Studio and Light Techniques" in many universities such as Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Department of Graphics, Bahçeşehir University Department of Photography, Doğuş University Department of Graphics, İstanbul Technical University Fine Arts Faculty between 2004 and 2014. He curated the book and exhibition called “Deep Sea Illuminators”, worked in the photo shoots of the project called “Do you know Hasankeyf?”. Also took the underwater photographs of a project which is about producing an underground map of the cistern, well and waterways in Topkapı Palace. Many photographs of him which went on the auction have taken part in special collections and museums. Dura, who provides training for underwater photography, is also a diving trainer and did underwater photo shoots and workshops in many parts of the world. Besides national and international awards, he also held personal exhibitions in İstanbul and New York, participated in many group exhibitions and panels, appeared in selection committees.

Andreas Georgiadis

Andreas Georgiadis was born in 1972 in Thessaloniki. He lives and works in Athens. He studied painting under George Rorris, graphic design at the School of Graphic Arts and Artistic Studies in Athens and illustration in Orleans, France. He has had 13 solo art exhibitions in Greece and overseas and received major distinctions. His works have been acquired by museums, public and private collections, and have illustrated books and records. As a set designer he has helped design the B. and E. Goulandris Foundation as well as many exhibitions at the Gennadius Library, the Museum of Cycladic Art, the Benaki Museum and elsewhere. He also works in theatre as a set and costume designer. He heads the art team of Mikri Arktos publications.

Nihal Gündüz

Lives and works in Istanbul. Graduated from the Photography Department of the Fine Arts Faculty at Mimar Sinan University in 1996. Completed her master's degree in Photography at Marmara University in 1999 and then began working professionally in the fields of advertising and fashion. While continuing to work in advertising and fashion, she also teaches Fashion Photography at Yeditepe University's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Gülercan Hacıoğlu

1960, Bulgaristan doğumlu. 1989 yılında Sofya Ulusal Sanat Akademisinden mezun oldu. 1995-1997 yılları arasında Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi Resim Bölümü’nde yüksek lisansını tamamladı.

Mustafa Orkun Müftüoğlu

He was born in 1973 in the town of Of, Trabzon.
He graduated from the Painting Department of Mimar Sinan University Faculty of Fine Arts in 1995.
He has received twelve national art awards and has held five solo exhibitions to date.
He currently works as a faculty member in the Painting Department at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Faculty of Fine Arts

Tayfun Pirselimoğlu

Born in Trabzon. Pirselimoğlu graduated from Middle East Technical University after which he went to Vienna and enrolled at Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst where he studied under Professor Wolfgang Hutter, one of the most important names in the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. He also studied engraving under Professor Sigi Schenk.

Pirselimoğlu held various solo and joint exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. His drawings have been published in a number of magazines. He is one of the founders of the independent art initiative ‘Akademie Genius’ where he has conducted workshops and given classes.

Pirselimoğlu wrote and directed the films ‘Innowhereland’, ‘Rıza’, ‘Haze’, ‘Hair’, ‘I’m not Him’, ‘Sideway’ and ‘Kerr’. He was also nominated for an Oscar for the movie 'Kerr'. He is the author of seven novels (‘Tales from the Desert’, ‘The Album of the Lost People’, ‘Melancholy’, ‘Towers of the City’, ‘Kerr’, ‘Barber’, ‘Surveyor’) and three story books (‘Hotel Rooms’, ‘The Newest Lives of Harry Lime or Praise to the Third Man’, ‘The Other Side of the Desert’)

Maria Roza

Born in Baku in 1998, lives and works in Ankara. After graduating from the Fine Arts High School of Ankara, she studied at Hacettepe University Painting Department and graduated with a degree. Recently, she completed her Master of Fine Arts at the same university. 
The young artist focuses in her works on the relationship humankind has with animals and with primitivity, and on the structural and functional features of these relations. What she aims for is to make her audience feel the uncanny atmosphere in her works and still provide them with a safe harbour by nesting them in the pleasing harmony and aesthetics of the paintings.

Yonca Saraçoğlu

Born in Ankara. Graduated from St. Joseph High School, Istanbul. After graduating from State Academy of Fine Arts, Sculpture Department settled in Paris in 1988. Studied at Sorbonne French Language and Civilization Department. Began to study painting, made vocational made ​​trips to various European countries. Returned to Turkey in May 1991. After a happy period of intensive photographing discovered Istanbul and decided to create her own artistic universe. Works in her own studio in Cihangir, Istanbul. Saraçoğlu sees art as an inner transformer, a way of loving life and beings, and a state of resistance.