Gündüz Gölönü - Turkish Painting Association

Who was Gündüz Gölönü? (1937–2015)

Gündüz Gölönü (1937, Çanakkale – 2015) was a significant artist and academician in Turkish painting and printmaking, particularly known for his pioneering work in abstract expression, geometric composition, and contemporary printmaking techniques. Through his long years of artistic production and teaching, he made lasting contributions to the intellectual foundation of modern art in Turkey.

His Life, Education, and Academic Career:

Born in Çanakkale in 1937, Gündüz Gölönü graduated from the State Academy of Fine Arts in 1961, having entered as a student in 1955. Following his art education, Gölönü pursued an academic career, starting as an assistant at the same institution in 1965. In 1968, he went to Paris on a state scholarship, where he worked at the renowned William Stanley Hayter’s Atelier 17 studio, focusing especially on color engraving and contemporary printmaking techniques. This experience was one of the cornerstones of Gölönü’s art, enabling him to achieve an international level of technical and conceptual depth. In 1973, Gölönü went to Hamline University in the United States as a visiting artist, and in the same year, he studied silkscreen techniques at the Pratt Graphic Institute in New York on a scholarship. Returning to Turkey in 1974, he received the title of professor and continued teaching at the Academy until 1979.
In 1979, Gölönü went back to America, serving as a visiting artist at St. Catherine’s University; a year later, he moved to California and became a member of the Kala Art Institute, founded by artists trained in the Atelier 17 tradition. Here, he taught color printmaking techniques.
Gölönü lived in America for approximately 25 years, returning to Turkey in 2004 and taking a position at Yeditepe University. From 2007 until his death in 2015, he taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Işık University.

Workshop Studies and Printmaking Practice;

Gündüz Gölönü's production in the field of printmaking holds a special place in the development of this discipline in Turkey.
He began working in Süleyman Saim Tekcan's studio on Kuyubaşı Aralık Street in 1976 and was the first artist to work in this studio.
In 1977, he continued his printmaking studies in Tekcan's studio in Söğütlüçeşme, and in 2006 and 2008 in the Engraving Workshop of the Istanbul Graphic Arts Museum.

Themes, Style, and Artistic Perspective in His Art;

Gündüz Gölönü's art is shaped around the concepts of abstraction, geometric order, rhythm, balance, and intellectual structure. The artist has considered painting not as a direct descriptive means of expression, but as a visual representation of thought. The basic characteristics of his artistic understanding are as follows:
• Abstract and geometric compositions: Form and line are the main elements of the narrative.
• Mastery of printmaking techniques: Internationally proficient in engraving, screen printing, and color printing.
• Intellectual depth: Works offer not only a visual but also an intellectual reading. • Disciplined and simple aesthetics: A balanced and measured expression, free from excesses.
In this respect, Gölönü's art is considered one of the important representatives of an intellectual and timeless abstract language in Turkish painting.

His Works and His Place in Turkish Painting:

Gündüz Gölönü's works are currently in private and institutional collections. His production, especially in the field of printmaking, has played a foundational and instructive role in the development of this discipline in Turkey.

Gündüz Gölönü, who passed away in 2015, is an important figure who left a quiet but profound impact on Turkish art, both as an artist and an educator. His approach to abstract painting, not merely as a formal pursuit but as an intellectual discipline, has made his art enduring and universal. Gölönü's works invite the viewer to look, think, and understand, moving away from rapid visual consumption.

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