Malik Aksel - Turkish Painting Association - UK- Headquartered in London

Who is Malik Aksel? (1903 – 1987)

He completed his primary education at Beyazıt Numûne Mektebi. Aksel, who was enrolled in Dârülmuallimîn (men’s teacher training school) in 1918, became the student of the painter Şevket Dağ, who would shape his future. Aksel, who was introduced to the Galatasaray Exhibitions organized by the Fine Arts Union, of which his teacher Şevket Dağ was a member, between 1918 and 1921, began to be seen in art events after the declaration of the republic.
After graduating from Dârülmuallmîn, he worked as a teacher in Kayagöz village of Şile for a while. Meanwhile, he attended the Galatasaray Exhibitions between 1923-1928:
1923 On the Way to School
1924 Village School, Wedding
1925 Flag Ceremony at the School, Seers and Children
1926 Exam Result
He participated in 1927 with the works titled Bayram Yerinde.
In the report prepared by American educational scientist John Dewey, who was invited to Turkey upon Ataturk’s request, he stated that there were not enough educators and teachers in the field of art and business education. In order to fill this gap, it was decided to send teacher candidates abroad for education. Aksel, who was among the first five people to go to Europe after passing the exam among “teaching school” graduates, went to Germany in 1928.
He studied “art pedagogy” and “business education” at the Higher Teacher Training School in Berlin. At the same time, he continued taking oil painting and engraving classes in the workshop of Rudolf Großmann at the Berlin High School of Art.

When he returned home in 1932, he started working as a painting and art history teacher at the newly opened "Art Teachers' School" in Ankara, which would later become the Gazi Education Institute. The artist, who did not take part in art groups such as the Independent Painters and Sculptors Union and D Group, which were formed by the first generation artists of the republic at that time, went to Sivas on the second of the "country trips" organized through community centers and to Denizli on the fifth. He participated in the State Painting and Sculpture Exhibitions with his works there. His works in Sivas were deemed worthy of the third prize in the jury evaluation, where Cevat Dereli received first place and Refik Epikman took second place.
Perhaps the most important work of Yurt Gezileri in terms of Turkish painting is Malik Aksel's "Kale Mahallesi". Regarding this work: "One of Malik Aksel's "morbid" paintings, "Kale Mahallesi", is almost the only painting that can be called social realist among the known paintings made during the Yurt Tours. While there is a search for beauty and an optimistic view in the other paintings made during the trips, Aksel Traces of poverty in society can be seen in the Kale District of . opinion is stated.

Aksel, who was a member of the Turkish Painters and Sculptors Union, founded in 1943 and chaired by İbrahim Çallı, started to participate in Galatasaray Exhibitions again from the second half of the 1940s. In 1951, he was appointed to Istanbul Çapa Education Institute, which later became the Atatürk Education Institute. He retired in 1968.
Regarding the artist, who did not compromise on his figurative works during the period when abstract approaches were dominant, Ahmet Muhip Dranas describes him as "one of those who put the most human figures in his paintings." His essays and conversational articles were published in Varlık, Hisar and Türk Kitapları magazines. The artist, whose books were published as well as his painting works, died in Istanbul at the age of 86. His grave is in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.

Published Books
1943 Art Life, Thirty Days at the Painting Exhibition
Bird Houses in Istanbul Architecture, 1959
1960 Anatolian Folk Paintings
1967 Religious Paintings in the Turks
1971 Art and Folklore
1977 Middle of Istanbul
2017 Fairy Tales and Painting (ed. Beşir Ayvazoğlu, a compilation of his writings that were not included in his books)