ADNAN ÇOKER - Turkish Painting Association - UK- Headquartered in London

Who is Adnan Çoker?

Who is Adnan Çoker, who questions basic concepts such as surface-space, plane-space in his abstract-minimal works? What are his personal exhibitions and awards? Adnan Çoker, who examines the elements of “Architecture-Framing-Monumentality”, “Balance” and “Geometry” in his works, is one of the pioneers of classical Turkish painting…

He was born in 1927 in Suleymaniye, Istanbul. She studied at Samatya Hacı Women’s Primary School in 1934-39, at Davutpaşa Secondary School in 1939-42, and in the middle section of Afyon High School for 1 year in 1942. He became a student of Şefik Bursalı at the Academy of Fine Arts, Gallery in 1944-45. 1945-51 He worked at Zeki Kocamemi Workshop for 6 years. He graduated from the Fine Arts Academy, Department of Painting, on July 2, 1951. He won the European competition and went to Paris on December 29, 1955 with a state scholarship. In March 1960, he completed his education in the West and returned home. He became an assistant in the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1963, he founded the “Blue Group” with A. Gürman, Sarkis, Devrim Erbil and Tülay Tura. In 1964, he went to Paris for the second time with a French scholarship. While he was continuing his engraving studies at the W. Hayter Workshop and painting studies at the Goetz Workshop, he started ‘Paintings with a Black Background’. In 1969, he received the title of associate professor at the State

Academy of Fine Arts. In 1976, he was appointed professor of the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1977 he was appointed Director of the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum. In 1979, he resigned from the Directorate of the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum. In 1983, he was appointed Head of the Painting Department of Mimar Sinan University (MSÜ), Faculty of Fine Arts. In 1985, he resigned from MSÜ, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting. Çoker, whose works are in many institutions and private collections, died on August 22, 2022.

In his abstract-minimal works, Çoker questions basic concepts such as surface-space, plane-space, and examines the elements of "Architecture-Framing-Monumentality", "Balance" and "Geometry". In his paintings, the forms he describes as "Mould-Form" or "Hanging Form" appear to be suspended in an abstract spatial dimension on black.[6] The harmony created based on the pointed arch door and window motif of Ottoman and Seljuk monumental architecture, which opens the interior space to the outside world, is based on a "pattern form", in the artist's words. That is, it differs from geometric and conventional formalism.

Personal exhibitions

2010 Retrospective Painting Exhibition - Beşiktaş Çağdaş, Istanbul
2007 "Structural Rhythm" (Exhibition Opened in Memory of Mustafa Kemal) Mac Art Gallery, Istanbul
2003 "Paintings Between 1995-2003" Mine Art Gallery, Istanbul
2001 "Structure and Instinct" (VLAM Project-with Mustafa Ata) Bebek Art Gallery, Istanbul
2001 "Missing Zodiac Signs" Maçka Art Gallery, Istanbul
1996 "Compilations" Mine Art Gallery, Istanbul
1996 "Plus Elements" Aksanat Gallery, Istanbul
1994 "Minimals and Their Variations" Gallery B, Istanbul
1993 "In Parallel to the Series of Domes" Galeri Nev, Maçka, Istanbul
1993 "In Parallel to the Series of Domes" Galeri Nev, Ankara
1991 "Paris and Istanbul Works Between 1959-1965" Arda Art Gallery, Ankara
1990 "Periods" Mine Art Gallery, Istanbul
1989 "Graphics from the Abstract Expressionist Period (1959-1965)" Maçka Art Gallery, Istanbul
1989 "Retrospective Painting Exhibition" Derimod Cultural Center, Istanbul
1988 "Minimal Symmetry II" Mine Art Gallery, Istanbul
1988 "Minimal Symmetry II" Harbiye Garanti Art Gallery, Istanbul
1986 "Minimal Symmetry I" Maçka Art Gallery, Istanbul
1979 "Oil Paintings Graphics" State Fine Arts Gallery, Istanbul
1973 "Black Symmetry" American Cultural Center, Istanbul
1969 "Black Paintings" Gallery I, Istanbul
1966 "Gouaches - Collages" Turkish-German Cultural Center, Istanbul.
1962 "Gouaches" Turkish-German Cultural Center, Istanbul.
1961 "Return to Paris Pictures" Turkish-German Cultural Association, Istanbul
1955 "Non-Objective and Abstre Paintings" with Ali Durukan, Maya Gallery, Istanbul
1954 "Non-Objective and Abstract Paintings" with Lütfü Günay, Maya Gallery, Istanbul
1954 "Non-Objective and Abstract Paintings" with Lütfü Günay, Helikon Association, Ankara
1953 "Before the Exhibition" with Lütfü Günay, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography, Ankara
Awards
1951 Istanbul Fine Arts Academy "Korea" Competition Painting 1st Prize
1961 Istanbul Art Festival Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Painting 1st Prize
1962 23rd State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, 1st Prize
1973 7th DYO Painting Exhibition, Achievement Award
1976 11th International Alexandria Biennial Painting 2nd Prize
1981 Türkiye İş Bankası Painting Grand Prize
1982 Home Decoration Magazine Honor Award
1990 III. International Asia-Europe Art Biennial, "Friendship and Peace Art Award"
He rejected the 1994 Sedat Simavi Foundation Visual Arts Award.