Born in 1951, the artist enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in 1974. With encouragement from his professors Şadi Çalık and Hüseyin Gezer, he started working for the State Mint in 1977. However, he shortly quit to focus on his studies.
One year after graduating from the academy in 1980, he was invited by the State Mint and so he joined the staff. In 1986 he was sent to Italian Mint in Rome on a five-month programme to study contemporary coin making techniques.
He retired from the Turkish State Mint in 2006.
Exhibitions he took part in:
- 1976 – Participated in the Open-Air Painting Exhibition at the Archaeological Museums.
- 1978 – Took part in the YDGSA Higher Sculpture Department Student Group Exhibition.
- 1978 – Participated in the State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition.
- 1979 – Opened his first solo sculpture exhibition at Nur Art Gallery.
- 1979 – Participated in the State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition.
- 1979 – Took part in the 2nd Art Festival events.
- 1981 – Participated in the 3rd Istanbul Art Festival “New Trends” Exhibition.
- 1981 – Joined the contemporary mixed sculpture exhibition at Maçka Art Gallery.
- 1981 – Took part in the mixed painting and sculpture exhibition at Moda Fine Arts Gallery.
- 1984 – Participated in the 12th International Istanbul Festival “Contemporary Artists 5th Istanbul Exhibition.”
- 1993 – Held a Unique Medallion and Sculpture Exhibition at Sadberk Hanım Museum.
- 1994 – Opened a sculpture exhibition at Foks Art Gallery.
- 2001 – Participated in the exhibition “Meeting with Sculpture on the 78th Anniversary of the Republic” at Akbank Art Center.
Awards he received:
- 1979 – Received First Prize in the Osman Hamdi Sculpture Competition.
- 1987 – Received two honorable mentions in the State Medals and Orders competition organized by the Prime Ministry.
Coins he designed and engraved during his tenure at the State Mint:
- 1977 FAO Food and Shelter for Everyone acmonital 2½ and 5 Lira and a silver commemorative coin with face value of 50 Lira
- 1981 International Year of Disabled People gold 30.000 Lira
- 1983 FAO 16th October World Food Day, silver 1.500 Lira
- 1983 60th anniversary of the Turkish Republic commemorative coin (the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk) *1)
- 1984 1 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1984 5 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1984 10 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1984 50 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1984 100 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1984 United Nations, Decade for Women silver and gold commemoratives
- 1984 50th anniversary of Turkish Women obtaining the right to vote and the right to run for office
- 1984 20 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1985 25 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1985 FAO 9th World Forestry Conference Mexico
- 1985 World Youth Year
- 1986 International Year of Peace, gold and silver commemoratives
- 1987 International Year of Shelter for the Homeless
- 1988 50 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1988 100 Lira commemorative coin; Mexico strike the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk (*2)
- 1989 500 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
- 1989 500 Lira commemorative coin; Mexico strike
- 1989 Teachers Day 24th of November
- 1990 1.000 Lira circulation coin; both faces
- 1990 1.000 Lira circulating commemorative “Love Our Environment”
- 1991 2.500 Lira circulation coin; both faces
- 1991 Yunus Emre Year of Love
- 1991 Ahmet Adnan Saygun commemorative
- 1992 5.000 Lira circulation coin; both faces
- 1992 Winter Olympics – Albertville, France
- 1992 Summer Olympic Games – Barcelona, Spain
- 1994 10.000 Lira circulation coin; both faces
- 1994 World Football Championship two commemoratives with face value of 50.000 Lira
- 1995 Protected Nature #1 – Bald Ibis
- 1995 T.B.M.M. Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi 75. Yılı
- 1995 Polis Teşkilatının 150. Yılı
- 1995 Korunan Doğa #2 – Caretta Caretta
- 1996 50.000 Lira tedavül parasının ön ve arka yüzleri
- 1996 Habitat II Kent Zirvesi
- 1996 Korunan Doğa #3 – Akdeniz Foku
- 1996 Hulusi Behçet
- 1996 Korunan Doğa #4 – Kardelen
- 1997 İstanbul Kültür Varlıkları #1 – Kız Kulesi
- 1998 Hasan Ali Yücel
- 1998 Lozan Barış Antlaşması’nın 75. Yılı
- 1998 Cumhuriyet’in 75. Yılı Setinden:
- Cumhuriyet ve Lozan
- Cumhuriyet 2000
- 1998 2 EURO, 500.000 Lira
- 1998 10 EURO 2.500.000 Lira
- 1999 100.000 Lira tedavül parasının ön ve arka yüzleri
- 1999 Tam Güneş Tutulması temalı iki tip hatıra para
- 1999 Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun Kuruluşunun 700. yılı
- Osmanlı Arması
- İlk Osmanlı Parası
- Osmanlı Minyatür Sanatı
- 1999 FAO XXI 21. Yüzyıl Gıda Güvenliği (XXI Century Food Security)
- 2000 Geleneksel Türk Tiyatrosu #1 – Hacivat ve Karagöz
- 2000 Birleşmiş Milletler Binyıl Zirvesi
- 2001 Binyılın Türkleri – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Madalyonu
- 2001 Cahit Arf
- 2001 Türkiye’nin Kuşları – Kelaynak (Geronticus Eremita)
- 2002 Türkiye’nin Çiçekleri – Antalya Süseni (Iris Pamphylica)
- 2004 Binyılın Türk’leri – Nazım Hikmet Ran
- 2005 T.B.M.M. Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi 85. Milli Egemenlik Yılı
- 2005 tedavül paralarından 1, 5 ve 10 Kuruşların tura yüzünde yer alan Atatürk portreleri
- 2009 tedavül paralarının tamamında (1, 5, 10, 25 ve 50 Kuruş ile 1 Lira) tura yüzünde yer alan, ilk olarak 1984 yılı 1, 5, 10, 20 ve 50 Liralıklarda yer alan Mustafa Kemal Atatürk portresi.
İlk kez 1984 yılı FAO Balıkçılık altın parasının yazı yüzünde kullanılan ve 1984’ten itibaren para setlerinde görülen Darphane logosu kendisinin eseridir (*27, Sf. 73, 74 & 75).
Darphane’deki diğer eserleri:
Other Works at the Mint
- Grand National Assembly of Turkey medallion
- 40th anniversary of NATO commemorative medallion with the slogan “Peace in Freedom”
- 1990 medallion with the slogans “Love People, Protect the Environment” and “Everything is for People – The Environment is a Trust”
- 1998 Habitat II Istanbul Urban Summit medallion
- Gold-plated key to the city and box, produced for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
[1] The reverse was the handiwork of Hakkı Baha Çavuşgil (*27, p 68).
[2] Workers of the Mint went on strike between June 23 and October 19, 1988. Some of the circulation coins were struck at the Mexican Mint. 10 million 100 Lira coins dated 1988 and approximately 66 million 500 Lira coins dated 1989 were minted in Mexico using molds produced in Istanbul. In addition to the circulation coins produced, one thousand silver 100 and 500 Lira commemorative coins were minted. These commemorative coins, which were kept in the Turkish Mint for a while, were offered for sale to registered collectors in 1995 (*27, p 100).
* See all the artists who contributed to the designs of Turkish Republican coins and banknotes here.
