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CLASSICS TURKISH PAINTERS

Tomur Atagök

  • Posted by author-avatar
  • On 5 February 2026

Who was Prof. Dr. Tomur Atagök (1939–March 27, 2025)?

Prof. Dr. Tomur Atagök is remembered not only as one of the leading representatives of Turkish painting, but also as one of the founders of theoretical museology education, an academic, and a strong voice in feminist art. In her works, Atagök brought together themes such as the female figure, nature, identity, mythology, and the relationship between time and space on a mythical plane, making art not only a means of visual expression but also a field of intellectual inquiry.

Her Life:
Tomur Atagök was born in Istanbul in 1939. Her inclination towards art began at an early age; after starting her education at Robert College, she completed her undergraduate studies at Oklahoma State University (BFA). She then received her Master of Arts (MA) degrees in painting and visual arts from the California College of Arts and Crafts and the University of California, Berkeley.

Atagök’s educational background took her beyond being merely a painter with technical skills; Different forms of cultural perception, feminism, modern painting theory, and contemporary art research contributed to the development of an interdisciplinary perspective that went hand in hand with these disciplines.

Academic and Professional Career;
Between 1980 and 1984, Atagök served as the Deputy Director of the Painting and Sculpture Museum at Mimar Sinan University, becoming one of the first to systematically establish the academic foundation of museology practice in Turkey.

Later, she taught art and design at Yıldız Technical University; she received the title of professor in 1993 and established the first museology master’s program in Turkey in 1989, which she directed for many years. Between 2004 and 2006, she also served as the dean of the faculty.

Atagök has simultaneously left her mark in two fields: art production and academic museology practice, contributing to the institutionalization of art education and museum studies disciplines in Turkey.

Artistic Production and Themes;

In Tomur Atagök's artistic practice, the female figure and mythological imagery hold a central place. Since the 1970s, her works have explored female existence in terms of identity and social role; she depicts the transformation of society within a historical perspective by presenting figures sometimes as powerful, goddess-like figures, and sometimes as ordinary women.

Atagök's use of various surfaces and materials in her paintings is also noteworthy: initially, she preferred handmade papers, and in later periods, surfaces such as steel and aluminum, as well as traditional canvas. This diversity is part of her quest to construct form and meaning together.

Featured Exhibitions and International Participation;

Tomur Atagök has a strong background in graphic art and painting, exhibiting her work both domestically and internationally. Throughout her career, she has held over 40 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group events.
Some notable exhibitions:
• Vakko Art Gallery, Ankara (1984) –

• Mine Art Gallery, Istanbul (1993)

• “Cyclical Traces” Retrospective, Kibele Art Gallery, Istanbul (2020) – Multi-period selection
• “Neverending Story: Human”, Brieflyart, Istanbul (2022)
• “Journals”, Elgiz Museum, Istanbul – Presentation integrated with writings and visuals

These exhibitions are important milestones in terms of observing the thematic transformation of the works and how Atagök interprets the concepts of woman, nature, and time in different periods.

Art Perspective;
Tomur Atagök's understanding of art focuses on re-establishing the interaction between art, viewer, and environment. According to her, a work is constantly reinterpreted and gains different meanings through the viewer's experience.

For Atagök, highlighting the visibility of the female figure in art is seen as a way of rewriting history; This approach is considered one of the early examples of integrating a feminist art perspective into art.

Artistic Legacy and Last Years;

Tomur Atagök passed away on March 27, 2025, at the age of 86.

Her contributions to art and academic museology have made her a pioneer not only as a painter but also as someone who shaped contemporary art and museology education in Turkey. Her works, educational studies, and written sources encompass a wide range of influence, from the artistic representation of the female figure to museology theory.

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