Şemsi Arel Click for Artist Information

Şemsi Arel

Şemsi Arel was born in Istanbul in 1906. He was introduced to painting by his father, Mehmet Ruhi Arel, in Paris between 1911 and 1914, and exhibited his first painting works in Ankara Community Center. He entered the Istanbul Fine Arts Academy in 1924 and had the opportunity to attend the workshops of İbrahim Çallı.

After working as a public art teacher, he went to Paris and worked along with Andre Lhote at the ateliers of Fernand Leger and Jean Metzinger. Arel, who conducted researches in various museums and galleries, participated in the Independents exhibition in Paris with two works.

Having opened a personal exhibition in Istanbul in 1951, the artist participated in the international exhibition held for the Edinburgh Festival in 1957. Between 1955 and 1959, he worked with Cemal Tollu and Cevat Dereli in the repair of old paintings in the Military Museum in Istanbul, then he was sent to Hatay to make dormitory paintings.

In 1959, he held a joint exhibition with his wife, Maide Arel, at the Foyer des Artistes in Paris. He participated in the Venice Biennale in 1962, the Contemporary Turkish Art Exhibition in Vienna, and the regional exhibitions in Lugano and Tehran in 1964. He held solo exhibitions in Istanbul in 1978 and 1984.