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CLASSICS TURKISH PAINTERS

Zekai Ormancı

Who was Prof. Dr. Zekai Ormancı? (1949, Aydın – April 23, 2008, Istanbul)

A Painter Who Interpreted the Tapisserie Tradition in Turkish Painting with Contemporary Plastic Values

Life;
Zekai Ormancı was born in Aydın in 1949. In 1968, he entered the Department of Painting at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts after passing the entrance exam. He graduated in 1973 as a student of Zeki Faik İzer and Özdemir Altan. During his academy years, he became acquainted with abstract tendencies, colorist approaches, and the search for contemporary composition, shaping his plastic language early on. In 1980, he participated in the International Salzburg Summer Academy with a scholarship from the Austrian Government and worked with Albert Bitran. This experience increased the artist’s intellectual depth, especially on abstract composition, surface structure, and color layers. Upon his return to Turkey, he was appointed as a lecturer at the Department of Painting at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts, which is now Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. In the same year, he established the Tapisserie Workshop, providing an institutional foundation for academic production in this field in Turkey. He received the title of associate professor in 1986 and professor in 1995. He continued his academic identity and artistic production together; he trained many students and contributed to the development of contemporary textile art. In 1990, his tapisserie project for the Honor Hall of the Presidential Palace was accepted. He completed the work, measuring 340 x 900 cm, approximately 30 m², in nine months with the contributions of his student, the painter Harun Acı, in an intense work schedule. The work is still located in the Presidential Palace. In 1993, he was invited to represent Turkey at the international exhibition “Textiles Mediterranees” organized by ARTIFEX, an organization headquartered in Paris. The artist participated in an exhibition held in Gruissan, near Narbonne, France, featuring two carpet paintings alongside many artists from Mediterranean countries. His works are included in various museums and collections both in Turkey and abroad. While continuing his work at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, he passed away in Istanbul on Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

Art Perspective;
A Plastic Language Extending from Painting to Carpet Painting
Zekai Ormancı's art is based on a multi-layered production approach that extends from classical canvas painting to textile surfaces. By combining his knowledge of pictorial composition with the material structure of weaving technique, he has transformed carpet painting from merely a decorative field into a contemporary means of plastic expression.
Color areas are constructed within the balance of geometric and organic forms. Rhythm, repetition, and movement within the surface are prominent in his compositions. In his carpet painting works, the physical texture of the weave is integrated with pictorial depth and the effect of light.

Abstraction and Surface Construction
In Ormancı's works, figurative expression is in the background; abstraction is the fundamental approach. Forms are often constructed through fragmented planes, color blocks, and linear boundaries.
The surface is the artist's most important area of ​​work. The material density provided by the weave increases the plastic tension of the composition. Colors are not only an aesthetic element; they are structural elements that create a sense of space and depth. This approach has made him one of the pioneering figures in Turkey who integrated textile art with the discipline of painting.

Monumentality and Public Space
The large-scale carpet painting he created for the Presidential Palace reveals Ormancı's capacity for thinking on a monumental scale. This work is considered one of the important examples of contemporary Turkish textile art in terms of both technical mastery and compositional integrity. A sense of public space is evident in the artist's work. The works are designed not only for galleries but also to integrate with architectural spaces.

Awards;
1973 – “Can İren Painting Competition” Achievement Award
1973 – “Ahmet Andiçen Painting Competition” 2nd Prize
1978 – Home Decoration Magazine “Textile Competition” Achievement Award
1979 – GSD/İSD Turkish Children's Painting Competition Achievement Award
1980 – “Contemporary Artists 1st Istanbul Open-Air Exhibition” Achievement Award
1981 – “DYO Painting Competition” Achievement Award
1981 – Home Decoration Magazine “Golden Palette Painting Competition” Achievement Award
1982 – “Contemporary Artists 3rd Istanbul Open-Air Exhibition” Achievement Award
1983 – Home Office Magazine “Golden Palette Painting Competition” Achievement Award
1987 – 6th Istanbul Art Festival “New Trends Exhibition” Achievement Award

Selections from Personal Exhibitions;
1974 – Beyoğlu City Gallery
1981 – State Fine Arts Gallery, Istanbul
1983 – Dost Art Environment, Ankara
1986 – Garanti Art Gallery, Istanbul
1987 – Beymen Bedestan Art Gallery, Ankara
1988 – Mine Art Gallery, Istanbul
1989 – Soyak Art Gallery, Istanbul
1989 – Mine Art Gallery, Istanbul
1990 – Lami Art Gallery, Istanbul
1990 – Garanti Art Gallery, Istanbul
1991 – Arda Art Gallery, Ankara
1992 – TCDD Art Gallery, Ankara
1992 – Galeri Baldem, Istanbul
1993 – Arda Art Gallery, Ankara
1994 – Nadya Art Gallery, Istanbul
1995 – Alkent Actual Art, Istanbul
1995 – Arda Art Gallery, Ankara
1995 – Galeri PG Art, Istanbul
1996 – Aksanat, Istanbul
1997 – Temizocak Art Gallery, Izmir
1997 – Arda Art Gallery, Ankara
1998 – Mine Art Gallery, Istanbul
1999 – Kare Art Gallery, Istanbul
2000 – Arda Art Gallery, Ankara
2000 – Galeri Binyıl, Istanbul
2008 – 40th Anniversary Painting Exhibition, İş Sanat Kibele Gallery

His Position in Turkish Painting History;
Zekai Ormancı is one of the pioneering figures who institutionalized carpet painting as an academic and contemporary discipline in Turkey. By removing the boundaries between painting and textiles, he brought together the woven surface with modern plastic values.
With his academic identity, workshop establishment, and large-scale public works, he has guided the development of textile-based production in contemporary Turkish art. With his abstract compositional understanding, surface awareness, and capacity for monumental-scale thinking, Zekai Ormancı holds a unique and lasting position at the intersection of Turkish painting and textile art.

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