Retired Turkish language and literature teacher Mustafa Toga, whose nickname is "Picasso Mustafa," decorates the exterior walls of houses and garden walls with oil paintings in the Salihli district of Manisa province.

Painting fruit, animals and human figures on walls in the Çökelek neighborhood, Toga, 65, started to paint the exterior wall of his house two years ago. Later, he painted many figures on the walls of other houses in the neighborhood upon request. Mostly dealing with animals and nature, Toga does not turn away special requests.

Having painted an eagle, the symbol of the Beşiktaş football team, on a wall of a house last year, Toga also painted portraits of Çiçek Abbas, an unforgettable character of Yeşilçam Turkish film art and industry from the 1950s to 1970s, and deceased singer Barış Akarsu.

Toga does not accept money for the paintings and also covers the expenses for the paint himself.

Toga said that he has done oil painting and pencil drawing for nearly 40 years. Explaining that he decided to paint the exterior wall of his house nearly two years ago, he said: "I painted horses, cows, local grapes and the Maiden's Tower in order to create beauty." Saying that his neighbors a

lso wanted him to paint their walls, Toga added that he has painted many figures on walls so far.

Explaining that he likes painting the things that reflect village life, Toga said: "Village life has a different place in Turkish society. Animal breeding and grape cultivation are prominent in my neighborhood. This is why I generally paint cows, ships, chickens, roosters, grapes, corn and cotton on the walls. Furthermore, I give place to current and historical issues in my paintings. For instance, I painted an eagle on a wall of a house last year since Beşiktaş was the champion. The youth in our neighborhood also love Barış Akarsu so much. Therefore, I also painted the singer."

Requests from neighbors

Noting that people coming from different places also want these paintings in their neighborhood, Toga said: "These works will remain as long as the walls don't collapse. This is actually the best thing about this job. The more people come and see these paintings, the more requests I get. They want me to paint their walls, too. I go and paint their walls as much as I can in my leisure time."

A resident in Çökelek, Mahmut Can, spoke of their interest in Toga's paintings.

"Mustafa Toga created beauty painting the walls in our village. I also requested he paint my granddaughter on the wall of my house. He came today and started to paint. When my granddaughter sees the painting, she will be very happy. It will be a big surprise for her," Can said.