Güven Zeyrek - Turkish Painting Association - UK- Headquartered in London

Who is Güven Zeyrek? (1935-2021)

He was born in Ayvalık in 1935. His deep interest in reading and art began in his family home. He met during his secondary education; His valuable teacher, Painter Prof. His relationship with Adnan Turani gradually turned his interest in art into a passion. In 1957, Ankara G.E.E. He graduated from the Department of Painting and settled in Izmir. He never worked in government positions.
Between 1957-1987, at Izmir Private Turkish College; He worked as a Painting and Art History Teacher. During these years, he became known for the exhibitions he opened in Izmir, Istanbul and Ankara. His active work had a great impact on the development of Izmir’s Art Life and the opening of the painting-sculpture museum. He was in the first juries of some of the competitive exhibitions, such as DYO, VAKKO and State exhibitions, which he participated in the early years of his artistic life but never participated in the later years. He received awards.

In 1983, the “AKATÜNVEL” community, which presented a philosophical declaration and manifesto for the first time in Turkish Painting, and the head of this community, Prof. Dr. Akatünvel decided to join the group after meeting the painter Süleyman Velioğlu; It continues its existence and unity with Painter-Architect Nafi Çil and Güven Zeyrek, who still live in Izmir, and Painter-Interior Architect Tamer Akakıncı and Painter Tangüt Akakıncı, who live in Istanbul.

Between 1985 and 2000, the group conducted research in the museums of Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, Nice, Madrid, Barcelona, Vienna, Odessa, Budapest and Prague.

In 2007, Güven Zeyrek celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his artistic life. With the exhibitions he opened during his long artistic life, he is at Türkiye İş Bankası Kibele Art Gallery; He was given the honor of opening the great exhibition "Güven Zeyrek - 1957-2007 - Retrospective". Due to this exhibition, which continued for two and a half months, the bank also published a large book bearing the name of the exhibition.
Under the auspices of the Private Turkish College, with a newly prepared catalog in 2008; The "50th Year Retrospective" exhibition, which was opened at the Atatürk Cultural Center of Ege University and previously at the Kibele İş Bank Art Gallery in Istanbul, was repeated in Izmir.
Again in 2007, at the invitation and auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; A major exhibition was created at the Turkish Cultural Center in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Güven Zeyrek; He continues his individual and original works in line with the manifesto and philosophical integrity of the Akatünvel Group, of which he is currently a member, in his private workshops in Dikili and İzmir.
The artist's works, taken from his fifty-five years of art adventure and exhibitions, are in the State Archives, Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir Painting and Sculpture Museums, İş Bankası, Vakıflar Bankası, Yapı Kredi Bankası, Ekspres Bank, Başak Sigorta Collections and Ege University Atatürk Cultural Center, Anadolu University. There are important collections and private collections in institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Arts, Izmir Municipality, Private Turkish College, Vakko collections, abroad, in countries and cities such as the Netherlands, Paris, New York, and in the country.

The artist's second major book, "Painting is everything. Güven Zeyrek", written by Abdülkair Günyaz and sponsored by the private Turkish College, has been published. Prof. Dr. It integrates with the great book "Güven Zeyrek - 50th Year Retrospective in Art" written by Mümtaz Sağlam and describes Güven Zeyrek's unique place in Turkish Art.