A shared life, a shared artistic journey and a deep connection to Ankara shaped the work of painters Melahat and Eşref Üren. Their story is now being told in the capital through "Side by Side” ("Yan Yana”), an exhibition that opened Aug. 1 at the Türkiye İş Bankası Economic Independence Museum in historic Ulus Square, following an almost yearlong run in Istanbul.

"I believe it is important for audiences in the capital to have the chance to discover the works of Eşref Üren, widely regarded as a painter of Ankara,” said Ece Şıranur, exhibitions manager at Iş Bankası.

The Ürens moved to Ankara in 1939, and the city soon became a recurring source of inspiration in their work. Explaining why the exhibition was brought to the capital, Şıranur said: "Both artists had a deep connection to Ankara, where they lived until the end of their lives. We wanted to bring their works back to the city they called home.”

The artistic exchange between the two is reflected in their work. Both were drawn to still-life compositions, often turned to Ankara's landscapes for inspiration and placed particular emphasis on color. Their approaches, however, remained distinct. Eşref Üren was known for his pronounced contours and impressionist-expressionist style, while Melahat Üren embraced a more intuitive form of expression, with looser lines and freer brushwork.

Beyond 'artist’s wife'

Yet the exhibition is particularly significant for the closer look it offers at the lesser-known, often overlooked, artistic journey of Melahat Üren.

Yet the exhibition's significance lies not only in bringing the couple's works together, but also in shedding light on Melahat Üren's largely overlooked artistic journey.

Eşref Üren's path to becoming a professional painter reportedly began when he encountered artist Ibrahim Çallı painting at Bursa's Green Tomb.

He initially faced rejection from Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi, the fine arts academy established in 1882 and now known as Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, because of his age. He was eventually admitted as a special student. He later went to Paris, where he worked in the studio of painter Andre Lhote.

Following his return to Türkiye, Üren took up a teaching position in Erzurum, where he met Melahat, who was born on the Greek island of Lesbos. Their relationship developed into a lifelong partnership, and their home eventually became a shared space for both life and art.

The couple later traveled to Paris together, where Melahat's interest in painting grew, and she further developed her artistic skills. She also worked for a time as an art teacher at Kurtuluş Secondary School in Ankara.

More is known about Eşref Üren's life and artistic career than about Melahat's. While he went on to hold solo exhibitions and establish himself in the art world, Melahat continued painting largely away from the public eye and never had a solo exhibition during her lifetime.

Şıranur said one of the exhibition's aims was to bring Melahat's artistic identity out of her husband's shadow. As the team explored her work, they came to recognize how visionary and talented she was and how much she had developed as an artist. "We wanted people to see that she isn't just Eşref Üren's wife, but an artist named Melahat Üren in her own right,” she said.