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| Nusret Çolpan | |
 Nusret Çolpan 2005 |
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| Birth name | Nusret Çolpan |
| Born | October 1, 1952 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Died | May 31, 2008 (aged 55) Istanbul, Turkey |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Field | Painting, Drawing, Architecture |
| Training | Suheyl Unver (Teacher), Yildiz Teknik Universitesi, Architecture, Istanbul |
Nusret Çolpan (October 1, 1952 – May 31, 2008) was a Turkish Painter, Architect and Miniature Artist. Generally known with his paintings on ottoman miniature style depicting cities around the world, especially Istanbul. Painted over 300 miniatures in 30 years.
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Biography
Lost Years in Bandirma
Çolpan's talent for painting was recognized before he moved to Istanbul. He worked as a waiter for four years after primary school, and worked on a newsstand for two years after secondary school. While he was working on newstand, his microscopic detailed drawings of mosques on wooden spoons already started to amaze the people around him in Bandirma. He met with Prof.Dr.Suheyl Unver through his uncle Ali Oztaylan.
Life in Istanbul
He started and graduated from high school in Zincirlikuyu Meslek Lisesi. He wasn't planning further education but with the advices of Suheyl Unver and Azade Akar he started to study in Yildiz Technical University, Department of Architecture. He was working on ottoman illumination during the university years but he was daring for more and decided to work on miniatures. He worked for years in a small atelier with his closest friend Semih Irtes in Fatih.
Working Hard
He Travelled around Europe for several months and as he returned to Turkey he married with Husniye Çolpan in 1979. In the same year he opened a small interior decoration atelier, also in Fatih. He was painting and running his atelier in the same time. An interview made in this atelier with Nusret Çolpan was published on Wall Street Journal in 1980. At the same time, his paintings started to be known and appreciated. He painted over 250 watercolor miniatures, mostly of cities, such as New York, Istanbul, Bukhara, Medina, Konya, and opened-joined many exhibitions until the year 1999. In that year he also painted 8 miniatures for the 700th anniversary of the foundation of the Ottoman Empire.
Golden Years
In 1999, on the occasion of the opening of Istanbul Metro, he started to work on very large sizes (over 20 meters) in collaboration with Iznik Foundation, producing many paintings on tiles. In Turkey they are currently exposed in Beykoz Ferry Harbour, Kadir Has University, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Turkish Airlines. Abroad they can be seen at El Zabeel Park in Dubai, Canada, Thailand and Greece. His name spread around the world in those years. He was working on canvas and planning new projects in his last years. He was also teaching his art in Cerrahpasa and Yildiz.
Çolpan passed away because of heart disease on May 31th, 2008 in Istanbul. The Newspapers and TV Channels described his loss with words as "miniature has lost its smiling face".
Art
Çolpan has been inspired by City Illustrator Matrakci Nasuh, who lived during the period of Suleiman the Magnificent. Cities are the main subjects of most of Çolpan's Paintings, but he also painted events like Noah's Ark, 8 miniatures for 700th anniversary of the Ottoman Empire, the Battle of Preveza, the Fall of Constantinople, Mevlana and Sema ceremonies: besides, he painted also on occasion of documentaries with his students. Çolpan used spiral forms in many miniatures. The harmony of spirals in clouds and general forms created his unique style. He avoided repainting old miniatures and managed to paint present time in the main concepts of miniature. He implemented miniatures on tiles first time. He continued on the way of his teacher Suheyl Unver and after centuries of neglect reapproched people with the art of miniature.
Awards
Enormous Award of Turkey Ministry of Culture
Enormous Award of Türk Kültürüne Hizmet Vakfı
Mevlana Success Award
Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Türkiye Yazarlar Birliği Traditional Arts Success Award
Exhibitions
Press Museum
Atatürk Library
Municipality of Istanbul
Bandırma Art Center
Caferağa Medresesi
Cemal Reşit Rey Exhibition Hall
Tuğra Art Gallery
Ali Müfit Gürtuna Art Center
Kadir Has University
Taksim Art Gallery
Bursa Teyyare Culture Center
Gallery
 World of Islam |
External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nusret Çolpan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nusret Çolpan |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Turkish painter, miniatureartist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 1, 1952 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bandirma, Turkey |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 31, 2008 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Istanbul, Turkey |
