Muharrem Aygün - Turkish Painting Association

Who is Muharrem Aygün? (1971-Ankara)

Education:

Completed primary, secondary, and high school education in Ankara.
In 1991, he enrolled in the Painting Department of Hacettepe University’s Faculty of

Fine Arts.

Graduated in 1995 as the top student of Prof. Zafer Gençaydın’s studio and the top student of the painting department.

Awards:

In 1995, he was awarded the İhsan Doğramacı Outstanding Achievement Award.
Received numerous achievement awards as an Art Educator.

Artistic Activities:

Organized thirty-six group exhibitions and ten solo exhibitions.
In his early works, he featured Anatolian textiles and carpet motifs, which he referred to as “archetype things.”
After 2003, motifs continued to exist only symbolically in his works, which he described as “things with a taste of geometry and orgonomy in time.”
Post-2015, his works included themes such as “make a wish,” “pARTbaş diaries” after

2020, and “My Grandfather’s Mill” in 2024.

Career:

After graduation, he worked in various art studios and galleries.
Began teaching Visual Arts.
During his teaching career, he also conducted theater and creative drama activities.
Continues his studio work in Ankara.

Contributions and Memberships:

Served as a jury member in painting competitions, a curator for exhibitions, and a participant artist in workshops.
Various articles on Art and Education have been published in national and international journals.
Participated in the "Culture Road Festival ANKARA" under the ArtMeydan platform for the 100th anniversary of the Republic; his second piece was acquired by the Ministry of Culture.
He is a member of various non-governmental organizations and also a member of BRHD (Association of United Painters and Sculptors).

Collections:

His works are included in various private collections both in Turkey and abroad.

Note: Muharrem Aygün continues a versatile artistic life, exploring different techniques and themes in his artistic journey. Through his teaching and creative drama activities, he expresses his art not only in the visual field but also in performative areas.

Art Perspective:
In the first period of my artistic journey, I turned to the rich cultural formations of Anatolia.I brought the patterns of Turkish rugs and hand-printed textiles to my works and called these motifs "archetypal things". Over time, these traditional motifs became symbolic and after 2003, they gained a new meaning by meeting with contemporary themes such as "geometry" and "orgonometry". After 2015, I invited the audience to different worlds with series such as "Make a Wish" and "pARTbaş Günleri", and I am experiencing the excitement of creating the "Grandfather's Mill" series, which is special for 2024.

The "Grandfather's Mill" series is an effort to retell the traces of the past in a modern language for me. I brought the old and the new together by interpreting traditional windmills and watermills with abstract, vibrant colors and strong geometric forms. By using warm and cold colors in harmony, I aimed to make the viewer feel the movement and energy of the mills. While keeping cultural values alive in this series, I salute a contemporary observational past.

For me, art is not only a visual expression, but also a field of experience that I want to share. As a visual arts teacher, one of my biggest goals is to combine my life and art and share them, and to open new horizons for those who acquire and follow my works. During this process, I have been developing myself in the fields of theater and creative drama, and I have been applying these techniques in my art education classes. I have also served as a jury member in painting competitions and curated exhibitions. Various articles of mine on art and education have been featured in international magazines. My works have become part of many collections both in Turkey and abroad.