İhsan Cemal Karaburçak

As one of the most original artists of 20^th century Turkish painting, İhsan Cemal Karaburçak is among the rare autodidactic artists who developed his art by refusing to engage in academic training. 

Karaburçak grew interest in painting during his long years in public service. He transformed one of the rooms of his house into a modest studio in Ankara where he spent most of his life. He is one of the well-kept secrets of Turkish painting, whose true value is further appreciated over the years. Retrospective in nature, this exhibition provided the opportunity to re-familiarize oneself with İhsan Cemal Karaburçak, who is recognized as much for his authentic style, as for his colours, particularly his signature "purple" that left an imprint on his canvases. İhsan Cemal Karaburçak, picked up a paintbrush for the first time in 1930, when he was enrolled at École Universelle in Paris, where he was working at the Directorate of Telegraph Services. Despite his hopes of developing his conception of art, École Universelle disappointed him with its rigid rules of instruction. An avid follower of modern art, he created a unique pictorial language without being influenced by the movements of his period. Between 1930 and 1970, Karaburçak produced many works including portraits, still lifes, cityscapes, nocturnes, landscapes, abstractions, and abstract works.

The exhibition catalogue contains both the works in this exhibition and the writings of many art historians and critics.

Date of Publication: 2011
Number of pages: 157
ISBN: 97-9123-11-8