Ferruh Başağa
(1914-2010)

Ferruh Başağa was born in Istanbul in 1914. He studied under the modern art masters such as Zeki Kocamemi, Nazmi Ziya and Leopold Levy at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts between 1935 and 1940. After his military service, he continued his studies at his alma mater and received a Master′s degree in paintings in 1947. His first solo exhibition was held in 1945 in Istanbul followed by his participation in a group exhibition at the Musee d′Art Moderne in Paris in 1946. Başağa founded “Yeniler Grubu” (New Group) with his friends. In 1949, he participated in the exhibition of State Painting and Sculpture with his abstract painting. He was invited to the Contemporary Artists of the Academy of Fine Arts at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in the US, the Venice Biennial and the San Paolo Biennial in 1962. Başağa managed a mosaic and stained glass studio at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts between 1971 and 1981. He had many solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions in Turkey and abroad: Italy, France, England, Switzerland, Austria, India, Brazil, U.S.A., Egypt, and Chile. Başağa′s abstract expressionist style took on a more geometric approach after the 1970′s when he began overlapping triangles in various forms and sizes. Most recently his works were exhibited at the "Modern and Beyond: 1950-2000" at Santral Istanbul in 2007-2008. He was the winner of numerous national and international awards. Başağa passed away in 2010.

Reference: Sotheby’s London Contemporary Art Turkish, 4 March 2009 (London 2009), p. 80 and 99; minesanat.com; wikipedia.org;