Yaşar Yapıcı Nalcı, an arts teacher at the Burdur Emekevler Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School opened an exhibition "Esma-ül Hüsna" (Names of Allah) at the State Fine Arts Gallery in Antalya. The exhibition features 101 pieces made with either acrylic or oil paint. Nalcı completed his work in 7 years and wrote the names of Allah with their Turkish meanings on his work. His each painting is coherent with the name of Allah written on it. "Last year on Laylat al-Qadr, I completed writing the names. My 99 paintings show 99 names of Allah. There are two other paintings written with the words 'nothing' and 'everything'," he said to an Anadolu Agency reporter. Nalcı went on to say that viewers cannot understand Turkish names if they do not carefully look at the work. "In Islam, it is believed that when you take only one step toward Allah, he gets closer to you in 10 steps. The more closer you get with these paintings, the more you will be able to understand its hidden meanings. You cannot understand what they say if you look at them from a distance," he said. Nalcı wants to open this exhibition in other cities of Turkey.

When: Until June 15

Where: State Fine Arts Gallery, Antalya