Remzi İren

Who is Remzi İren? (1943 – Tokat)

Remzi İren joined the Tekel General Directorate in 1976, serving for 15 years as a graphic designer and 10 years as a Culture and Arts consultant, before retiring voluntarily. He continues his painting career in his own studio. He is married and has two children.
Born in Tokat in 1943, Remzi İren graduated from the Textile Patterns Department of the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts in 1970. That same year, he went to Germany and studied Graphic Arts and Textile Patterns for nearly two years. Remzi İren showcases the diverse cultural richness of Anatolia, primarily rooted in Anatolian folklore, particularly regional women’s headdresses, and depicts nature, birds, and the sea in his paintings. The artist, whose numerous works are in national and international private collections, has participated in numerous group exhibitions throughout his career.
He continues his artistic career in his private studio in Çeşme.

Art Perspective;
An Article on Remzi İren and Atatürk:
İren’s love and interest in Atatürk began in childhood. While still in elementary school, he would study Atatürk portraits and sculptures. Saying, “We grew up watching Atatürk documentaries,” İren first painted Atatürk in middle school. He would have Atatürk portraits made for national holiday celebrations. Throughout his artistic career, in addition to his regional works, Atatürk portraits have always been his subject. Although he produced portraits of Anatolian women, Atatürk paintings have always been his subject.

İren’s Love of Atatürk
This is İren’s second exhibition with an Atatürk theme, having held his first exhibition of Atatürk portraits at a private gallery in Ankara last year. When I asked him why Atatürk, he replied, “Always Atatürk!” I received the answer. While İren wanted to produce approximately 40 works for this exhibition, he was only able to finish 33 due to a health problem. Among the works he produced using oil painting are his paintings wearing a fur cap, presented to him by Osman Kocaoğlu, who became the leader of the Independent State of Bukhara after his journey to Central Asia via India during World War I; a lookout moment during the Battle of Sakarya; a painting of him rowing on Florya Beach in the summer of 1933; a painting of him observing military maneuvers in Ankara in 1926; a portrait of him during the Sivas Congress on September 14, 1919, during the first days of publishing the İrade-i Milliye newspaper; a painting of him watching the horse races held for the benefit of the children of orphans and martyrs at the Ankara Hippodrome before the Great Offensive; a painting of him in the trenches at Conkbayırı; a painting with İsmet Pasha before the Great Offensive; and a painting of him on his journey to Yalova in 1930, following his death. The artist has produced numerous paintings, including a portrait from a year ago.