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Exhibitions and Awards :
1998 FMV Özel Işık Lisesi Art Gallery - İstanbul
1999 Neyran Art Gallery - İstanbul
2000 "Most Successful Woman in Plastic Arts in the year of 1999" Award, given by Oriflame
2000 Afrodite Art Gallery - İzmir
2000 "Best Artist in Plastic Arts - Türkan Kahramankaptan Special Award, given by Çırağan Lions Club
2001 İMKB Art Gallery - Ankara
2001 Salon D'Automne - Paris ( International Group Exhibition )
2002 Kaş Art Gallery - İstanbul
2002 AKM Art Gallery - İstanbul
2003 Toprak Art Gallery - İstanbul
2004 Toprak Art Gallery - İstanbul
2004 "Most Successful Woman in Plastic Arts in the year of 2003" Award, given by Oriflame
2005 Artev Art Gallery - İstanbul
2006 Ürün Art Gallery - İstanbul ( Group Exhibition)
2006 AKM Art Gallery - İstanbul
2007 Princess Otel - Bodrum
2007 Adam & Eve Otel - Antalya ( Group Exhibition)
2007 Maya Art Gallery - Mersin ( Group Exhibition)
2007 Mayadrom Sports Center - İstanbul
2008 Nurol Art Gallery - Ankara
2008 Artev Art Gallery - İstanbul
2009 Artev Art Gallery İstanbul
2010 Nurol Art Gallery - Bodrum ( Group Exhibition)
2010 Ürün Art Gallery - İstanbul ( Group Exhibition)
2010 Sandans Art Gallery - Ankara
2010 Cef Art Gallery - İstanbul
2011 Sandans Art Gallery - Ankara
2011 Alamango Art Gallery - Datça
2012 Artev Art Gallery - İstanbul
2012 Galeri Espas - İstanbul
2012 Nurol Art Gallery - Ankara
2013 Kalkan Kültür Evi - Kalkan
2014 Ürün Art Gallery - İstanbul ( Group Exhibition)
2015 Bilkent Üniversity Art Gallery - Ankara ( Group Exhibition)
2016 Nurol Art Gallery - Ankara
2016 Nurol Art Gallery - Bodrum
2018 Artev Art Gallery - İstanbul ( Group Exhibition )
2019 Ürün Art Gallery - İstanbul ( Group Exhibition )
I was born in 1967, in İstanbul, to a ceramic artist/painter mother (Jale Yılmabaşar) and an architect/engineer father (Necdet Ertugan). I believe that, before we are born, we choose the most suitable family to be birthed from,in order to achieve the purpose of the life we design for ourselves. And I have made a very accurate and lucky choice.
Until I realized how to best express myself, for the sake of being my own self I decided to choose an occupation other than my parents. After graduating from "FMV Özel Işık Lisesi", I studied "Tourism and Hotel Management" in Bosphorus University. (1987)
I realized the most important motto in my life "Love what you do or do what you love!"
I was fascinated by colors and textures, so I decided to be a Fashion Designer. Starting from design schools in İstanbul, I continued studying fashion design in "Esmod" Paris where the heart of fashion beats !(1991) After coming back to İstanbul, I opened my own haute-couture atellier. I won a prize in the contest of "Beymen Academia, Avantgarde Women of Tomorrow" with the collection I designed. (1995)
I always loved to drawing and painting pictures since I was a little girl, but the passion I felt for "cats" added a new dimension to my life, so I started trying to paint my love of cats to canvas ! I took the advise given by my experienced elders to exhibit my paintings . My first exhibition "Kedici (Cat Person)" held place in the art gallery of the Işık College from which I was graduated.
The reflection of my intense passion manifested in the eyes of the viewers as the same love and light, so that became the turning point of my life. My deepest wish is to feel the joy of sharing the same emotions with the viewers through my paintings in every other exhibition.
I choose to express my emotions through colors, textures and symbols. For many years, the most accurate symbols of my emotions have been cats who make me feel loved and be in love, who I beleive to be the most perfect creatures of the World.
I will continue to make paintings of cats as long as they keep giving me inspiration.
Sedef Yılmabaşar Ertuğan
Go to Memories for more photos
