Residents

Vahap Avşar

Ayvalık, June 2023

Vahap Avşar was born in 1965 in Malatya, Turkey. He attended Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Fine Arts from 1985 to 1989 and Bilkent University Fine Arts Department from 1989 to 1995, where he earned a master’s degree and completed the coursework for a PhD Avşar settled in New York after an artist’s residency program in 1995. 

Avşar’s solo exhibitions include Lost Shadows, SALT Beyoğlu (Istanbul, 2015); Black Album, Rampa (Istanbul, 2013); iBerlin, TANAS (Berlin, 2012); Noneisafe, Charles Bank Gallery (New York, 2011); Vahap Avşar, Rampa (Istanbul, 2010); Come Who Ever You Are, W139, (Amsterdam, 1993); and Myths, Galeri Zon (Ankara, 1991). His group exhibitions, among others, include Istanbul: Passion, Joy, Fury, MAXXI Museo Nazionale Delle Arti del XXI Secolo, (Rome, 2015); Too Early, Too Late: Middle East and Modernity, Pinacoteca Nazionale (Bologna, 2015), Artists’ Film International, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul and Whitechapel Gallery (London, 2015); Zwölf im Zwölften, TANAS (Berlin, 2011); Second Exhibition, ARTER (Istanbul, 2010); I’m Too Sad to Kill You!, Proje 4L (Istanbul, 2003); 5th International Istanbul Biennial (Istanbul, 1997); Gar, TCDD Art Gallery and Ankara Central Train Station (Ankara, 1995); 5th Havana Biennial Art Exhibition (1994); Elli Numara – Anı Bellek II, Akaretler 50 (Istanbul, 1993); and An Another Art: For the Memory of Joseph Beuys, German Cultural Centre (İzmir, 1986). Avşar currently lives and works in New York and Istanbul. 

The artist will be focusing on his upcoming projects at Gate 27’s Ayvalık premises, where he will be conducting site visits around Ayvalık as well as working at small factories in the area. 

Vahap Avşar’s image courtesy of Brian Wilette.

www.vahapavsar.com