İş Sanat's Kibele Gallery hosts prominent Turkish painter Muzaffer Akyol's exhibition "I am startled, Woke up and Never Slept Again" which reveals Akyol's 50 years of artistic life. The art of Akyol who loves nature and human beings unconditionally centers upon Anatolian geography and social responsibility. When his works are examined starting from the 1960s, it is evident that his artworks are nourished with the mythological stories of Anatolian people and the artist links these myths with the problems of present day. The goddesses wish trees and shahmarans that are featured in his works do not only belong to the past but also mirror the present. Regarded as "one of the most literary painters of Turkish painting" by poet and politician Talat Sait Halman who passed away recently, Akyol ornaments his works with poetic and humorous names such as "Zeytin Ağacında Ebedi Aşk" (The Eternal Love on the Olive Tree), "İda Dağı'nın Sarı Kızı" (The Blonde Girl of İda Mountain) and "Zemheri'de Çiçek Açan Zeytin Hanım" (Lady Olive who blooms in Winter). Pomegranates, birds, cupressus tree, olive branches, cats, fish and frogs are the indispensable elements of nature lover Akyol's works. The artist who approaches nature as a common living space paints nature sometimes extravagantly and sometimes plain in order to build a bridge between dream and reality. Another important feature of veteran painter's artworks is the colors he uses. The provocative, enthusiastic and impressive colors in Akyol's paintings draw the attention of the viewers. İş Sanat put together a catalogue for the exhibition of Akyol who produces bright paintings due to his longing for a more beautiful life. The booklet is composed of the articles of Denizhan Özer, the curator of the exhibition and enriched with the remarks of Ataol Behramoğlu, Selim İleri, Talat Sait Halman, Özdemir İnce and Tuncel Kurtiz about the artist. Considered as "one of the most distinguished Turkish painters from Bedri Rahmi to present day who have originated from the Black Sea region," Muzaffer Akyol's retrospective exhibition can be visited until Apr. 18 at İş Sanat's Kibele Gallery.

About Muzaffer Akyol

Born in 1945 in Trabzon, painter Akyol enrolled to the Department of Painting at State Fine Arts Academy in 1969. The artist who has held many solo and group exhibitions both in Turkey and abroad caused a stir among art circles with his exhibition "İki Kuşak Akyol" (Two Generations of the Akyols) in 2010 which he prepared with his sister Gaye Su Akyol. He converted his 16 year old workshop in Asmalımescit to a museum in 2011. Many of Akyol's artworks are featured in numerous private collections.