Acar Başkut

Who is Acar Başkut? (1935-2016)

Acar Başkut was born in Istanbul in 1935, the son of journalist and playwright Cevat Fehmi Başkut.
Başkut, who applied the first graffiti in Turkey to the walls of Galatasaray High School, where he studied, in the 1950s, decorated the walls of the high school with caricatures of his teachers, pictures of his friends and some other characters, in the years when it was not foreseen that graffiti would turn into an art form in Turkey.
The artist, who also became interested in theater, enrolled in the Munich Academy of Fine Arts in 1959 with the guidance of his father and his father’s close friend Muhsin Ertuğrul. Başkut studied and drew stage technique and stage construction at MAN Theaterbau Gustavsburg for two years.
The artist exhibited his works in Munich’s famous galleries. Başkut, who won the first prize with his decor designs in the competition organized by the academy during his education, worked with Prof. He worked as an assistant to H. Jurgens and Kurt Halleger.
Acar Başkut received a “master” diploma from the Theater Decoration and Theater Costume Designer Department in 1964.
Returning to Turkey after his graduation, the artist worked at the Istanbul City Opera in 1965-1966 and at the Ankara State Opera and Ballet in 1967. Başkut worked as the chief decorator at the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet for many years and retired in 2000.
Başkut, who worked as a lecturer at the Decoration Design Department of the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts for many years, won the 1994-1995 UNICEF Award. He entered the “UNICEF Art Calendar” together with famous artists such as Picasso, Renoir and Utrillo.