ARTISTS / MEHMET GÜLERYÜZ

MEHMET GÜLERYÜZ

He was born in 1938 in Istanbul. He graduated from the Painting Department of the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts in 1966. He opened his first solo exhibition, mainly on drawings, in 1963.

He specialized in High Painting and Lithography in Paris, where he went with a state scholarship between 1970-1975. He exhibited his first sculptures, made in Paris in 1971, in two performances at the Pont des Arts. He taught at the Painting Department of the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts between 1975-1980. He worked on printmaking at Süleyman Saim Tekcan’s studio in Söğütlüçeşme in 1982. He settled in New York between 1980-1984. He returned to Istanbul in 1985. From 1985 to 2000, he gave art education in the studio bearing his name at BİLSAK. He started publishing the art magazine Kalin in 1986.

He assumed the founding chairmanship of the International Plastic Arts Association between 1989-1992. Between 1990-1995, he made an interview series for Votre Beauté Magazine under the title of "Conversations with Güleryüz." In 1992, he lectured at Bilkent University as a visiting lecturer. He was re-elected as the President of the International Plastic Arts Association of Turkey in 2000, as the President of Eastern Europe in 2001, as the 2nd President of the IAA Europe united in 2002, and as a member of the IAA World Board of Directors.He taught in Yıldız Technical University United Arts Program between 2003 and 2005; in Bilgi University Design Culture and Management Certificate Program from 1999 to 2007, in Mehmet Güleryüz Studio between 2000-2011. In 2004, his biography titled "Don’t Be Fooled By My Smile" prepared for publication by Ayşegül Sönmezay, was published in İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, in the Nehir Söyleşileri series.

In 2005 he organized the International Plastic Arts Association European General Assembly in Istanbul. He participated in the 16th IAA World General Assembly and the 2nd Beijing Biennale held in Beijing in 2005 as a member of the IAA World Board of Directors. He started the "Mehmet Güleryüz Notebook Project", which started with Edirne Fine Arts High School in 2011 and later included other Fine Arts High Schools, and the project reached its 10th year. Mehmet Güleryüz continues to live and work in Istanbul and Paris.