Şefik Bursalı Click for Artist Information

Şefik Bursalı

Şefik Bursalı (1903 – 1990)

Turkish Impressionist Painter Şefik Bursalı was born in Bursa in 1903. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1930. While he was still a student, he was invited to and participated in the exhibitions of the Turkish Painters Union, founded by his teachers İbrahim Çallı, Hikmet Onat, Feyhaman Duran, Namık İsmail and Avni Lifij. He passed the state exam and was sent to Paris for education. Later, he worked and conducted research in many art centers in Europe. After returning, the artist worked as an art teacher in Bursa and Konya high schools and had the opportunity to work on his first quality works during this period. He became famous especially in Konya, where he lived between 1934 and 1936, with his works reflecting the steppe characteristics of this place and the Seljuk and Mevlana ruins. In 1937-1938, upon Atatürk's request, his works were exhibited in the cities of Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev in the Soviet Union; it was also exhibited in Bucharest, Belgrade, Athens and Paris, and later in the Netherlands. It received very positive reviews throughout Europe. Later, he was elected as a faculty member at the Academy and was instrumental in the education of many students.

He taught at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he was appointed as a faculty member in 1936, for 30 years. He went to Kocaeli in 1942 as part of his country trips. He received awards at the State Painting and Sculpture Exhibitions in 1966, 1973, 1980 and 1982. In 1986, he was deemed worthy of the "Ministry of Culture, Culture and Arts Grand Award". In 1987, Mimar Sinan University gave the artist the title of Professor. He participated in contemporary Turkish painting exhibitions held in Moscow, Kiev and Leningrad in 1936, and in the same comprehensive exhibitions in the Balkan countries in 1937. The paintings created by the artist, who has a brush with enthusiasm, excitement, but also maturity and harmony, with warm and nuanced colors, display complete integrity in terms of their plastic structure.

In addition to his Figure and Nude works, his paintings about our dormitory corners are outstanding examples of the fusion of maturity and local colors.

Source: Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum