Mehmet Aksoy
Encyclopedia
Mehmet Aksoy is a Turkish
sculptor. He is one of the major sculptors in modern Turkey .
n territories. After completing his primary education in Yayladağı
in Hatay Province
, Tarsus, Mersin
and Antalya
, he enrolled 1960 in Istanbul Academy of Fine ARts (today Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
) to study painting. Later, Aksoy switched over to sculture section, where he was educated by Prof. Şadi Çalık between 1961-1867. Following his military service, he served at the same academy as an assistant in 1969-1970. He went in 1970 to London after having received a state-granted scholarship for further studies. Aksoy moed to Germany to study at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin
, from where he obtained a master's degree
in 1977. He returned in 1978 to Turkey and served until 1980 as an instructor at his alma mater
.
" , Aksoy's public sculpture includes a massive marble "Memorial to the Deserter" in Germany in honor of those, who refuse to fight in unjust wars . The figure in this memorial is carved in negative relief, a technique that Aksoy employed in later work. His sculptures often contain sensual figurative elements, but he is strongly rooted in a modernist sensibility with strong conceptual and abstract elements in his work. He works primarily in stone but also incorporates other material, fusing metal or differing stones in a single sculpture. He presently resides and works in a studio of his own dramatic design on the outskirts of Istanbul.
In 2008, Aksoy began readying what he calls the "Statue of Humanity
", a 30 m (98.4 ft) high monument dedicated to peace among Turks and Armenians. It was erected atop Kazıktepe Hill situated across from the ancient castle of Kars
. When completed, the monument would have been visible from neighboring Armenia
. Aksoy's efforts were encouraged by Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoğlu, who seeks to reopen the Armenian-Turkish border, sealed since 1993. Aksoy said that "Turks and Armenians are sisters and brothers" and "it is time for both of us to open our hearts to each other and heal our traumas." As of April 2011, the statue was being dismantled after Prime Minister Recep Erdogan
called it a "freak." The demolition is controversial and opponents charge that political appeal to nationalists
motivated Erdogan's fulmination. Aksoy has pledged to "re-make" the statue.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
sculptor. He is one of the major sculptors in modern Turkey .
Early life
He was born 1939 in Kesap, a town that is today within SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n territories. After completing his primary education in Yayladağı
Yayladagi
Yayladağı is a town and district of Hatay Province in southern Turkey, on the border between Turkey and Syria, south of the city of Antakya. It was formerly known as Ordu-Muradiye.-History:...
in Hatay Province
Hatay Province
Hatay Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. It is bordered by Syria to the south and east and the Turkish provinces of Adana and Osmaniye to the north. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region that covers the provinces of...
, Tarsus, Mersin
Tarsus, Mersin
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
and Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
, he enrolled 1960 in Istanbul Academy of Fine ARts (today Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University is a Turkish state university dedicated to the higher education of fine arts. It is located in the Fındıklı neighborhood of İstanbul, Turkey.-History:...
) to study painting. Later, Aksoy switched over to sculture section, where he was educated by Prof. Şadi Çalık between 1961-1867. Following his military service, he served at the same academy as an assistant in 1969-1970. He went in 1970 to London after having received a state-granted scholarship for further studies. Aksoy moed to Germany to study at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin
Berlin University of the Arts
The Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK is a public art school in Berlin, Germany, one of the four universities in the city...
, from where he obtained a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1977. He returned in 1978 to Turkey and served until 1980 as an instructor at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
.
Career and works
Called the "Anatolian MichelangeloMichelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
" , Aksoy's public sculpture includes a massive marble "Memorial to the Deserter" in Germany in honor of those, who refuse to fight in unjust wars . The figure in this memorial is carved in negative relief, a technique that Aksoy employed in later work. His sculptures often contain sensual figurative elements, but he is strongly rooted in a modernist sensibility with strong conceptual and abstract elements in his work. He works primarily in stone but also incorporates other material, fusing metal or differing stones in a single sculpture. He presently resides and works in a studio of his own dramatic design on the outskirts of Istanbul.
In 2008, Aksoy began readying what he calls the "Statue of Humanity
Statue of Humanity
Statue of Humanity was a statue in Kars, Turkey created by Turkish artist Mehmet Aksoy. It stood high on a hill outside of the city and depicted two human figures with hands reaching out to each other...
", a 30 m (98.4 ft) high monument dedicated to peace among Turks and Armenians. It was erected atop Kazıktepe Hill situated across from the ancient castle of Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
. When completed, the monument would have been visible from neighboring Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. Aksoy's efforts were encouraged by Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoğlu, who seeks to reopen the Armenian-Turkish border, sealed since 1993. Aksoy said that "Turks and Armenians are sisters and brothers" and "it is time for both of us to open our hearts to each other and heal our traumas." As of April 2011, the statue was being dismantled after Prime Minister Recep Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
called it a "freak." The demolition is controversial and opponents charge that political appeal to nationalists
Turkish nationalism
Turkish nationalism is a political ideology that promotes and glorifies the Turkish people, as either a national, ethnic or linguistic group and puts the interests of the state over other influences, including religious ones.-Pan-Turkism:...
motivated Erdogan's fulmination. Aksoy has pledged to "re-make" the statue.