Accomplished turkish photographer celebrates 55th year

Gültekin Çizgen, 74, is one of the eminent names in Turkish photography. He is displaying his world-renowned works as well as a new and assertive project. The artist's photos, which he has taken every day since Jan. 1, 2014, are being showcased at Gallery Işık Teşvikiye within the scope of his 55th anniversary in art. "I have been doing this profession all my life and I have never done anything else, as I was not able to adapt to any other lifestyle other than art," Çizgen said, adding this project is a kind of challenge to young people. He said that he wants to see what he can do in his 55th year in the profession. "It was important to test myself and turn this project into a challenge as a person who takes photos every day. One can take photos under any circumstances; in other words, there is no need to create time or look for place.

However, I do not know if I can participate in another project such as this," he said. Gallery Işık Teşvikiye is exhibiting panoramic photos from his albums "Siyah Beyazlar" (Black and White), "Klasikler" (Classics), "Fotoğrafta Atmosfer" (Atmosphere in Photography), "Fotoğrafta Anlam" (Meaning in Photography), "Leke Düzeni" (Stain Pattern), "Soyut" (Abstract), "Renk Dünyası" (World of Colors), "Doğa" (Nature), "Istanbul," "Çocuk" (Child), "Yaşam Kesitleri" (Fractions of Life), "Yansımalar" (Reflections), "Müzisyenler" (Musicians), "Grafik Yapı" (Graphic Structure), "El-Ayak" (Hand-Foot), "Renk" (Color), "Gölgeler" (Shadows), "Kadınlar" (Women), "Gecenin Rengi" (Color of the Night), "Bakışlar" (Looks) and "Işık" (Light). The artists has held solo exhibitions in 13 countries including Germany, Switzerland, France, the U.S., China, Jordan, Egypt, Brazil, South Korea, India and Turkey.

The artist is also the founder of Yeni Fotoğraf Dergisi (New Photography Magazine), an honoree member of the Mimar Sinan University Photography Institute and founding president of the Professional Publicity Photographers Association. Moreover, Çizgen has many publications on photography, travel, painting and the art of glass. Founded by the Fevziye Mektepleri Foundation in 2008 to contribute to art and education, Gallery Işık Teşvikiye has hosted important artists such as Ahmet Ertuğ, Adnan Çoker, Burhan Doğançay, Ferruh Başağa, De Mango, Zonaro and Preziosi so far. With its 300 square meter exhibition area in Nişantaşı, the gallery's latest exhibition was "İsmet İnönü: From Lausanne to Republic."