Halil Akdeniz (Turkish, )

Timeline

Halil Akdeniz was born in 1944 in Antalya, Turkey. He studied for a Bachelor’s degree and for specialized training at the Gazi Institute of Education, Department of Fine Arts Training in Ankara and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin – HdK, Berlin (now the University of the Arts, Berlin). He received his Master’s degree, proficiency in Fine Arts, and a PhD at the Aegean University, and at Dokuz Eylul University in Izmir. He became an assistant professor in 1986, associate professor in 1987, and professor in 1994. He worked as instructor at the Gazi Institute of Education (now Gazi University) in Ankara, the Aegean University, Dokuz Eylul University, Bilkent University, and Anadolu University. He founded the departments of Fine Arts at the Aegean, Dokuz Eylul, and Bilkent Universities. He worked in various positions at these universities ranging from department chairmanship to membership in faculty committees, university senates and university administrative committees. He served as cultural adviser in the Turkish Embassies in Bonn and Berlin between 1996-2000, and as adviser in the Turkish Ministry of Culture in 2001. He worked as instructor at Anadolu University, Faculty of Fine Arts between 2001-2005. He founded the Department of Art Sciences – a first in Turkey – within the Graduate School of Social Sciences of Anadolu University, and started the Program in Fine Arts Theory and Criticism (2003). He currently works in Istanbul at the Işık University School of Fine Arts.
Halil Akdeniz is known in Contemporary Turkish Art through his art and his research writings. Begun around 1978 and in the 1980s, with series such as “Visual Treatments of the Pollution in the Gulf of Izmir”, his artistic analyses, based on scholarly research concerning problems of the physical environments where he lived, continued with Ephesus, “Izmir – Visual Notes from the Ruins” and concentrate, in series encompassing different cultural regions, on Anatolian Civilizations – Intercultural; Anatolian Civilizations – Cultural Environment; Anatolian Civilizations – Cultural Logos; and Anatolian Civilizations – Cultural Remains. Produced during this process, his work includes contemporary interpretations and artistic solutions using both artistic and extra-artistic elements and has been entered in many national and international exhibitions, biennales, triennials, art fairs, and museum exhibitions. He has received awards in many competitions, both national and international, including the gold medal First Prize at the Bulgaria 1st International Modern Art Festival – “process-space”. He was chosen as an artist for the "Artistic Use of Interior Spaces Project" in the Republic of Turkey Presidential Residence New Building, realizing a work called "Anatolian Civilizations-Intercultural" on the Library wall. His works are held in various museums and collections in Turkey and abroad. Besides two books on Turkish art and artists and articles in catalogues, Akdeniz has written many scholarly publications, research writings, papers, and articles.
Halil Akdeniz is also member of the UNESCO-AIAP International Association for the Plastic Arts and served as Chair of its Turkish National Committee, Representation in Ankara for a time. He is member of the UNESCO-AICA International Association of Art Critics, founding member of the Turkish National Committee of AICA, and was granted honorary citizenship and is honorary member of Art Academy Münster.
Selected Awards
2007 Ege University, II. Aegean Days of Art, "Artist of Honor".
2003 Eskişehir Art Association, “Eskişehir Art Award” for founding the Department of Art Sciences – a first in Turkey – at the Anadolu University, and for starting the Program in Fine Arts Theory and Criticism
2002 Ankara Art Association, “Artist of the Year”
2002 Gazi University, 75th Year in Education “Honorary Plaque”
1992 1st International Modern Art Festival, Bulgaria, “Gold Medal First Prize”
1991 3rd International Yunus Emre Painting Competition, “Award in Painting”
1990 PTT 150th Anniversary Plastic Arts Competition, “Award in Painting”
1988 Ankara Art Association, “Artist of the Year”
1988 TP Atatürk Painting Competition, “First Prize for Painting”
1985 19th DYO Painting Competition, “Award in Painting”
1984 Viking Co. Exhibition of Printmaking, “Award in Printmaking”
1982 43rd State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, “Award in Painting”
1975 36th State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, “Award in Painting”
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Exhibitions

2008
“Daily News Project” Exhibition, Sint-Niklaas Ex-libris Museum, Belgium
2007
Memorial Exhibition for Korea/Turkey 50 years of Diplomatic Relation, Bupyeong History Museum, Incheon-Seul, Korea
2007
Middle East Technical University Fine Art Festival, Fine Arts Exhibition, Ankara, Turkey
2007
Art at Akmerkez, Akmerkez Shopping Center, Istanbul
2007
Ege University, II. Aegean Days of Art, Atatürk Cultural Center, IAKM, İzmir, Turkey (solo)
2006
Art-Fiction, Beşiktaş Çağdaş, Beşiktaş Municipality Art Gallery, İstanbul, Turkey
2004
Marmara University, Atatürk Faculty of Education, Education Congress, International “Transformation” Exhibition, Military Museum, Istanbul, Turkey
2003
Siyah-Beyaz Art Gallery; 20th Year Exhibitions, Ankara-Istanbul, Turkey
2003
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, opening exhibition of the museum collection, Istanbul, Turkey
2002
12th International Art Fair Istanbul Artist, Akdeniz Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2002
Artist Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey (solo)
2002
Siyah-Beyaz Art Gallery, Ankara, Turkey (solo)
2002
2nd Art Fair-ANKART, Akdeniz Art Gallery, Ankara, Turkey
2001
10th International Modern Art Festival “Change of Identity”, Rousse, Bulgaria
2000
Turkish Cultural Center, Berlin, Germany (solo)
1998
Abstract Trends in Turkish Painting (Curator: Yahşi Baraz), IAKM, Istanbul
1997
Group Exhibition “Begegnungen” Landesmuseum Volk und Wirtschaft, Dusseldorf, Germany
1997
31st International Modern Art Fair, ART COLOGNE, Inge Baecker Art Gallery, Köln, Germany
1996
International Sofia Painting Triennial, Sofia, Bulgaria
1996
Auswaertiges Amt Aus- und Fortbildugnsstaette, Bonn, Germany (solo)
1993
Siyah-Beyaz Art Gallery, Ankara, Turkey (solo)
1992
2nd Art Festival, FY Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
1992
“Remembrance / Memory” Exhibition-1, (Curator: Vasıf Kortun), Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Taksim Fine Arts Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
1975–1992
DYO Painting Competition exhibitions (9th, 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th, 19th), Izmir, Turkey
1991
“Highlights – (III)” of Living Turkish Art, Mars Art Gallery, Moscow
1990
BM Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey (solo)
1989–1990
The Grand Exhibition I-II, Istanbul-Ankara, Turkey
1989
2nd International Istanbul Art Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey
1965–1989
State Painting and Sculpture Exhibitions (26th, 29th, 36th, 39th, 41st, 43rd), Ankara, Turkey
1988
“Highlights – (II)” of Living Turkish Art, The Hague, Netherlands
1988
Beymen/Bedesten Art Gallery, Ankara, Turkey (solo)
1988
Anadolu University, “Palet” Art Gallery, Eskişehir, Turkey (solo)
1987
Urart Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey (solo)
1986
“Contemporary Turkish Painting”, Budapest, Hungary
1986
“A Different Art / Group Performance-Exhibition”: In Memory of Joseph Beuys, German Cultural Center, Izmir, Turkey
1985
“Arta Turca”, Bucharest, Romania
1984
2nd Viking Co. Prize Print Exhibition, Izmir-Istanbul-Ankara, Turkey
1983
“2nd Balkan Biennial”, Bucharest, Romania
1983
“La Peinture en Turquie”, French Embassy, Ankara, Turkey in honor of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the Turkish Republic, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism Exhibitions Abroad; Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary
1983
18th Art Exhibition of the European Council: Anatolian Civilizations “Exhibition of Contemporary Turkish Painting”, Istanbul, Turkey
1977
Istanbul Art Festival, “New Directions” Exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey
1977
Embassy of German Federal Republic Ankara, Turkey (solo)
1975
State Fine Arts Gallery, Ankara, Turkey (solo)
1971–1974
F. Berliner Kunstausstellungen (Ist, IInd, IIIth, IVth FBK), Berlin, Germany
1962
UNESCO, “Lives of Peoples of the World” Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
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