Bedri Karayağmurlar - Turkish Painting Association

Who was Bedri Karayağmurlar? (1951-2025)

Born in Niğde in 1951 Bedri Karayağmurlar spent his childhood and youth in various cities of Anatolia. He completed his primary and secondary education in İnegöl, his teacher training in Çanakkale, and his high school education at Afyon High School. His connection with art developed at an early age, and in 1974 he graduated from the Painting Department of Gazi Education Institute. He then began his career as a painting teacher. In 1990, he completed his master’s degree at Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Painting Education, with a thesis on “Creativity and Education”. In 1993, he completed his Proficiency in Art (Doctorate) program at Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Painting, with a thesis on “Abstraction in Artistic Creativity and its Place in Contemporary Art” and his artistic works. He became a Professor in 2008. To date, he has held thirty-nine solo exhibitions. He has participated in numerous exhibitions both in Turkey and abroad. He has received six awards. His paintings are in official and private collections, including those of the Ministry of Culture, the Izmir Painting and Sculpture Museum, the Gazi University Museum, the Ankara University Contemporary Arts Museum, the Ege University Paper and Book Arts Museum, the Prijador Museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bucharest Print Museum, and the Turkmenistan National Museum. He directed and wrote the proceedings for the Dokuz Eylül University Buca Faculty of Education International Visual Arts Meetings (2005 and 2007). He worked as an advisor and member of the selection committee for Ege Art events at Ege University. He participated as an artist and speaker in numerous scientific and artistic events related to his field. The artist is a member of the International Association of Plastic Arts, the United Painters and Sculptors Association, and the Language Association. Alongside his painting work, he pursued literary studies in the fields of short stories and poetry. These have been published in publications such as Yeni Gün Newspaper, Yeni Adımlar, Somut, Türkiye Yazıları, Dönemeç Kasaba Sanat, Dilizi, Ünlem, Kurşun Kalem, Kıyı Dili, etc. He published in numerous literary magazines. He was successful in the 1975 Sabahattin Ali and 1979 Başkent Municipality Short Story Competitions. In his first poetry book, “Gün Dökülmesi” (The Falling Day), he published a selection of poems he wrote after 2000. Afrodisyas Publications, 2015, İzmir. He continues to publish his writings on art theory and criticism in art magazines. He has seven published books. He worked at Elazığ Fırat University, İzmir Dokuz Eylül University, and Istanbul Aydın University. For many years, he trained countless students in the field of art education. Described by those close to him as a quiet, disciplined, introverted but profound personality, Karayağmurlar led a simple life, far from ostentation. His studio work was not only a place of production for him, but also a place of intellectual retreat. He viewed painting not as a rapid creative process, but as a long-term state of mental concentration. His interest in literature, philosophy, and especially art theory is an indispensable part of his personal world. His writing of poetry and short stories demonstrates that his artistic identity extends not only to a visual but also to a verbal realm of thought. In this respect, Karayağmurlar is an intellectual who finds the definition of “painter” too narrow; he understands art as a way of life.

Art Career and Exhibitions;
Bedri Karayağmurlar's artistic production spans approximately fifty years. During this period, he has held more than 40 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions both domestically and internationally. His exhibitions offer the viewer not only a visual experience but also a mental encounter.
His involvement as an organizer, consultant, and member of a selection committee in international art events shows that he is not only a producer but also a constructive actor in the art world.

Art Perspective;
Bedri Karayağmurlar's view of art considers abstraction not as a result but as a process. According to him, painting is not a copy of visible reality; it is a visual representation of how the human mind perceives the world. The fundamental elements of his artistic approach are as follows:
-Abstraction is a way of thinking: Karayağmurlar sees abstraction not as a break from the object, but as an effort to reach the essence of the object. -Space is constructed mentally: The spaces in his paintings are not physical, but psychological and conceptual areas. -The figure is an associative element: The figure exists not to be defined, but to produce meaning. -Art produces problems: The work does not offer the viewer a ready-made answer; it invites them to a thought process. -This approach makes his paintings silent but intense; simple but profound.

Works and Collections;
Karayağmurlar's works are located in institutions such as the Ankara and İzmir Painting and Sculpture Museums, Gazi University, Anadolu University Contemporary Arts Museum, and Ege University Book and Paper Museum. His works are also found in various museums and cultural institutions in the Balkans and Central Asia.
Bedri Karayağmurlar, who passed away in 2025, left behind not only paintings but also an understanding of art based on thought, discipline, and ethics. His legacy continues to live on in his works, in the students he trained, in the texts he wrote, and in his contributions to the intellectual field of art.