Who is Funda Tarakçıoğlu? (1955–Istanbul)Born in 1955 in the Şişli district of Istanbul to a teacher mother and a sea captain father, Funda Tarakçıoğlu’s love for paint and lines, theater, and illustrated stories traces back to her childhood and the fairy tales her grandmother told. Influenced by the colorful personality of her grandmother—who had been separated from her parents during the deportations, married off while still a child, and converted to Islam despite being born Armenian—the artist always maintained an interest in the past and history, striving to research and learn about ancient civilizations and migrations.
A progressive and enlightened female teacher at Şişli Ondokuz Mayıs Primary School ignited her passion for literature and books while fostering her diligence as a student; this led to her passing the entrance exam for the Istanbul German High School and earning the right to study there.
During her high school years, her German art teachers recognized her talent, and she participated in art exhibitions held at the school’s cultural center, Teutonia. Literature and folklore were also among her passions during those years. Although she had wanted to pursue art education at the Academy after high school, she also gained admission to the Department of Economics at Istanbul University; unable to go against her family’s wishes, she completed that degree instead, after which her life abroad began.
Germany—where she moved to live and work after university—transformed her choices, enabling her to embark on a different path, one that she had truly desired all along. During the time she spent living in Berlin (one year) and Cologne (four years), she attended art history classes in the evenings while working at the Consulate General in Düsseldorf. The *Volkshochschule* offered her this opportunity, yet her heart was set on creating her own original works by utilizing what she had learned and her imagination.In 1982, she returned to her homeland from Germany—where she had lived for five years due to her spouse’s job—and became a guest student at the Academy. Even after the state revoked guest student privileges, she continued to work with art instructors and utilized the sculpture and painting studios at Boğaziçi University (where her sibling was studying); there, she was introduced to clay and ceramic paints and created her first sculpture. She held her first exhibition alongside the university’s final-year students.
Meanwhile, she engaged in studio work with Orhan Taylan, Nevin Çokay, Gülay Sevsevil, and various other artists from whom she believed she could learn. In 1997, she decided to open her own studio; although she initially intended to work alone and undisturbed, life had destined her to fulfill a teaching mission inherited from her family. People who discovered the studio by chance, as well as those who knew her and wished to work with her, eventually became her students. Consequently, the artist had to expand the studio she had opened on the Arnavutköy waterfront. Seven years later, she began collaborating with the Cream Art Gallery in Kuruçeşme and moved her students to the gallery’s upper-floor workshop space. When the gallery owner closed the business two years later due to health issues, Tarakçıoğlu opened her current studio in 2. Ulus. Funda Tarakçıoğlu has been working at this location for twenty years. In the studio where she creates her art, she organizes group exhibitions with students who have been with her for nearly two decades and participates in domestic and international art fairs—both as part of the group and as a solo artist. For ten years, she conducted workshops and held solo sculpture exhibitions during the summer months at the International Knidos Culture and Art Academy (UKKSA) in Yakaköy, Datça—an institution founded by Nevzat Metin. Sadly, the UKKSA Art Festival, held annually during the first week of August, came to an end following his passing in 2023, and the academy subsequently closed due to issues involving the Datça Municipality. Works by Funda Tarakçıoğlu, her students, and other participating workshop artists can be found adorning the walls of hotels throughout the region and in the private collections of visiting art enthusiasts. The artist, who received a lifetime achievement award from the UKKSA Academy, also participated in fairs and exhibitions alongside the institution and contributed significantly to the foundation’s activities.Currently collaborating with Duende Art Gallery and participating in international fairs with Neo Art Gallery, the artist continues to take part in exhibitions and workshops across various provinces in Turkey. Having relocated her studio from Datça to Çeşme, Funda Tarakçıoğlu continues her creative work at her studio in Ilıca.
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