Nusret Çolpan

Who is Nusret Çolpan? (1952 Bandırma – 2008 Istanbul)

He completed his primary and secondary education in Bandırma. Later, he graduated from Zincirlikuyu Vocational High School and Yıldız University Faculty of Architecture in Istanbul. During these years, he took Turkish Decorative Arts courses from Prof. Dr. A. Süheyl Ünver and Azade Akar at the Istanbul University Institute of Medical History and began working with miniatures. He was greatly influenced by the artist Matrakçı Nasuh, who lived during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. Utilizing the discipline and perspective he gained in architecture, he brought his own unique style and color to miniatures. However, he did this while adhering to the general principles of miniature painting.

All of his works are original and depict previously unexplored subjects. The artist has held and participated in various exhibitions both domestically and internationally. Having worked with miniatures for 35 years, he has approximately 300 works in various collections both in Turkey and abroad. Some of his works are located in various locations including the offices of French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Santa Barbara Museum, the Wall Street Journal, the General Staff Headquarters, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, newly opened Istanbul Metro stations, the 2nd Main Air Base, the Directorate of Religious Affairs, and Kadir Has University Cibali Campus. Large-scale ceramic works are also found in Dubai, Greece, and Thailand. The artist died on Saturday morning, May 31, 2008, from a heart attack.