Nusret Çolpan

Nusret Çolpan
Nusret Çolpan 2005
Birth name	Nusret Çolpan
Born	October 1, 1952(1952-10-01) Istanbul, Turkey
Died	May 31, 2008(2008-05-31) (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 miniaturist, renowned for his paintings in Ottoman miniature style depicting cities around the world, particularly Istanbul. He painted over 300 miniatures in his 30 year career.

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 the newsstand, his microscopically detailed drawings of mosques on wooden spoons began to amaze people around him in Bandirma. He met with Professor Suheyl Unver through his uncle Ali Oztaylan.

Life in Istanbul

Nusret Colpan in the 80's

He started and graduated from high school in Zincirlikuyu Meslek Lisesi. He was not planning further education but on the advice of Suheyl Unver and Azade Akar he started to study at 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 died because of heart disease on May 31, 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

Topkapı Palace

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

External links

• NusretColpan.com

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