The painting exhibition "Geçmişin Mirası Izlerden Ufuklara” (“Legacy of the Past: From Traces to Horizons”), organized in collaboration with the National Palaces Administration and the Family and Youth Movement of the Century Association (YÜZAG), has opened its doors to visitors.
Featuring works by artist Uğur Mine Tamay, the exhibition is on display at the exhibition hall of the Palace Collections Museum in Dolmabahçe Palace. Its opening ceremony brought together guests from the worlds of politics, culture and the arts.
Istanbul Deputy Governor Esengül Korkmaz Çiçekli said art was one of the key things that set humans apart from other living beings.
“Art plays an important role in humanity’s relationship with God. We see this in our civilization through miniature painting, visual arts and music. As Turks and Muslims, we leave our mark on the world and history through these art forms. This exhibition is one such mark,” she said.
Beyoğlu District Governor Abdullah Atakan Atasoy said understanding the past meant more than remembering history; it also meant drawing on it to enrich the present and shape the future. He thanked visitors for attending the exhibition.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) before the opening, YÜZAG Chairperson Güleser Topuz said the organization had five branches in Bursa, Bilecik, Ankara, Trabzon and Şanlıurfa, with its headquarters in Istanbul. She said it worked on projects supporting families and young people.
Topuz said the organization aimed to serve society through projects developed in cooperation with government ministries, universities and other civil society groups.
She said the movement was founded with the aim of leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.
Topuz said she was proud to open the organization’s first painting exhibition, featuring works by Uğur Mine Tamay, its general art coordinator.
“We are honored and proud to open our first painting exhibition today, and we are very excited. We are showcasing the works of painter Uğur Mine Tamay, who coordinates our culture and arts unit. We are truly happy to be opening this exhibition,” she said.
Topuz said the paintings brought the cultural heritage of the past into the present and future, praising Tamay for blending traditional themes with contemporary interpretations.
"She combines traditional elements with a contemporary approach in her paintings. She has beautifully brought our faith, history, national heritage and present-day life to the canvas, expressing them through color and her own artistic vision,” she said.
Tamay said the exhibition featured 50 paintings alongside three works incorporating traditional clothing.
“I am a contemporary artist, but I reflect our traditions in my paintings,” she said.
Tamay said she had been actively working as an artist for 44 years, since graduating from art school. Over the years, she has participated in biennials, art fairs and numerous exhibitions in Türkiye and abroad.
She said her practice initially focused on oil paintings on canvas before expanding into three-dimensional works.
“I reinterpret our traditions through a contemporary approach and in a universal language. You can find elements of our traditions in every work,” she said. “For this exhibition, I drew inspiration from objects at the Topkapı Palace Museum and brought them together in a synthesis within a museum-like concept. All the paintings reflect my own personal synthesis.”
Tamay explained that her three-dimensional works incorporate calligraphy, marbling, Ottoman embroidered handkerchiefs, antique objects and handmade paper.
“The handmade papers I use are designed to last for centuries, including the kinds of paper used in calligraphy. I combine these materials in my work,” she said.
Tamay described her style as blending realism with abstraction, saying her paintings leave the time and place in which they unfold open to interpretation.
“When you look at them, time and place are uncertain. Yet, in terms of content, each work becomes a universal and personal synthesis,” she said.
She invited art lovers to visit, expressing hope that viewers would discover something familiar in the works.
“We welcome everyone, especially art lovers, to our exhibition. I hope every visitor will find something of themselves and their own past in these works,” she said.
“Legacy of the Past: From Traces to Horizons” traces Tamay’s 44-year artistic journey, from 1982 to the present, reinterpreting Türkiye’s rich cultural heritage through the possibilities of contemporary painting.
Imperial monograms, whirling dervishes, tombak metalwork, tiles, elaborately decorated doors, textiles, bowls, swords, shields, imperial caiques and figures from different historical periods go beyond their roles as representations of the past, becoming the building blocks of new visual compositions.
By bringing together calligraphy, marbling, miniature painting and other elements of traditional Turkish art with a modern aesthetic, Tamay creates a bridge between the past and the future.
The exhibition will remain open to visitors at the Palace Collections Museum in Dolmabahçe Palace through Oct. 18.
