Fikri Cantürk

Fikri Cantürk (7 February 1933 – 30 April 2019) was a Turkish painter and academic.

Biography Born in the village Karalar, Ankara, Fikri CANTÜRK completed his primary education attending the school “Eğitmenli” in his home town for the first three years and Hasanoğlu Village Institute Application Primary School for the remaining two years. He graduated from Hasanoğlu Village Institute in 1952. In the same year he was appointed to Koparan Village Primary School, which is nearby Ankara as the “School Principal”. He attended the Department of Painting, Gazi Institution of Education in 1954 and in 1957 he earned his degree.

Academic career Cantürk was sent to France by the Ministry of Education in 1965. During 1965 and 1966, he did some research, investigation and works of art in Paris. In the same years he made some studies in Dijon Teacher Training School and with a couple of friends opened an exhibition in Dijon University.

When he was back in Turkey in 1967, he was appointed to Kütahya Girls’ Teacher Training School, and worked there as the chief of the workshop and the chief of education. In 1970, Mr. Cantürk was appointed to Samsun Institute of Education, where took part in the foundation of the Department of Painting and worked there as the head of the department for 10 years.

As well as focusing on painting recently, Mr. CANTÜRK has not only been concerned with sculpture but also literature. Among his sculpture studies “ATATURK MONUMENT” in the gardens of Kütahya Girls’ Teacher Training School (1967) and Atatürk Primary School (1968) can be pointed out.

Published articles and books Ninety-nine Pigeons and One Olive, (Poems) 1961, Introduction to Arts and Esthetics (The Publication he was the Editor of) Anadolu University Publications 1993. Slums- Homes of Misery -1962, (Milliyet Newspaper article contest organized in the name for Ali Naci Karacan) Analysis of Sait Faik Stories (Research Article prepared with Güven Kalafat), Varlık Periodical, Issue: 604 155 August 1963

Selections from works of art are in Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum, Denizli, Mersin Painting and Sculpture Museum, Anadolu University Museum of Modern Arts, Ministry of Culture, TRT, Ziraat, İş, Halk Bank, DYO, Presidency of General Staff Collections. Apart from all these, he has many works of art in official and private collections both in Turkey and in abroad.

Some of the exhibitions participated in In Turkey;

State Painting and Sculpture Exhibitions DYO Exhibitions Exhibitions of the society of United Artists and Sculpture Exhibitions of the Artist graduated from Teacher Training Institute Many others including the Exhibitions by the group Art Again 2000

In Abroad;

5th, 7th and 11th Monaco The Modern Plastic Arts Exhibition The 3rd Biennial by Balkan Peace and Friendship District as representative of Turkey in 1982 Exhibitions organized in Germany, Austria, Kuwait, as representative of Turkey The year of Japan and Turkey, Examples from Contemporary Turkish Painting in 2003

Awards received 1971 “Special Jury Award” in the 5th DYO Exhibition 2010 Gallery G&G- ANKARA 2011 Gallery G&G- ANKARA