Zerrin Bölükbaşı (1919–2010) was a Turkish sculptor. She was of the first Turkish female sculptors, and the first woman sculptor to work on abstract sculptures.

Life

Early life

Zerrin Bölükbaşı was born as Zerrin Ark to İhsan and Nevzat Hanım in

Bakırköy Bakırköy is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district in the European part of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 29 km2, and its population is 226,685 (2022). Bakırköy lies between the State road D.100 (Turkey), D.100 highway (l ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, then in the Ottoman Empire in 1919. Her mother Nevzat was an educated woman, who graduated from the German school and her father İhsan Ark worked in real estate business. In 1926, she entered the Bakırköy Primary School, and after she finished the school, the family moved to

Kadıköy Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...

in Istanbul. There, she continued her schooling in Kadıköy American High School.

At the Academy

Celal Esat Arseven, who was in a close relation to her recommended her to attend the State Fine Arts Academy, and she officially registered there in 1938 to the Sculpture department. From 1937 to 1941 she worked at the academy sculpture department in the studio of Rudolf Belling. She was a student in the sculpture Department at the same time as Sadi Çalık, İlhan Koman, Hüseyin Gezer,

Yavuz Görey Yavuz Görey (27 August 1912 – 1995) was a Turkish sculptor. Life Yavuz Görey was born in Geneva, Switzerland on 27 August 1912. He is the brother of graphic artist İhap Hulusi Görey (1898–1986). After attending the primary and mid ...

and Rahmi Artemis. Together with Belling, they are some of the most important figures in establishing modern Turkish sculpture. Starting in 1941, she taught

Art History Art history is the study of Work of art, artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Tradit ...

at the academy two consecutive academic years. She graduated from the first part of the academy, and did not do the second part because of this. Although she graduated, she continued to work in the painting and sculpture classes at the academy and continued her work.

Marriage

In 1944, she married Nazif Bölükbaşı, the son of poet and writer

Rıza Tevfik Bölükbaşı Rıza Tevfik Bey (Rıza Tevfik Bölükbaşı after the Turkish Surname Law of 1934; 1869 – 31 December 1949) was an Ottoman and later Turkish people, Turkish Turkish philosophy, philosopher, poetry of Turkey, poet, politician of liberalism, li ...

. Bölükbaşı was the executive assistant of the Governor of Istanbul. In 1948, they had a son, Ahmet. Bölükbaşıs job required him to travel often and because of this, Zerrin often had opportunities to travel as well.

Beyoğlu City Gallery

Likely starting around 1954, she took on the management of the

Beyoğlu Beyoğlu (; ) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 9 km2, and its population is 225,920 (2022). It is on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the o ...

City Gallery for nine years. She held her first personal exhibition at this gallery in 1956.

Works

In 1958, her sculpture, "Dansöz", won the second place award in an international competition attended by 27 nations in Paris, France. In 1963, her sculpture, "Arab Head" won a fourth place award in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, Germany. In 1969, she won the second place award of the State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

Exhibitions

Some of her exhibitions include: *1956 Beyoğlu City Gallery, Istanbul *1961 2nd Contemporary International Sculpture exhibition,

Musée Rodin The Musée Rodin () of Paris, France, is an art museum that was opened in 1919, primarily dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. It has two sites: the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds in central Paris, as well as just ...

, Paris *1986 Ankara Tanbay Art Gallery *1990 Destek Art Gallery, Istanbul

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolukbasi, Zerrin 1919 births 2010 deaths People from Bakırköy Academy of Fine Arts in Istanbul alumni Turkish women sculptors 20th-century Turkish sculptors Academic staff of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University