| Art Profile |
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Halil Akdeniz was born in Antalya in 1944. He attained a Bachelor’s degree and specialized training at the Gazi Institute of Education, Department of Fine Arts Training in Ankara and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin – HdK, Berlin (now the University of the Arts, Berlin). He received his Masters degree, proficiency in Fine Arts, and a PhD at the Aegean University, and at Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir. He became an assistant professor in 1986, associate professor in 1987, and professor in 1994. He worked as instructor at the Gazi Institute of Education (now Gazi University) in Ankara, the Aegean University, Dokuz Eylül University, Bilkent University, and Anadolu University. He founded the departments of Fine Arts at the Aegean, Dokuz Eylül, and Bilkent Universities. He worked in various positions at these universities ranging from department chair to member of faculty committees, university senates and university administrative committees. He served as a cultural adviser in the Turkish Embassies in Bonn and Berlin between 1996 and 2000, and as adviser in the Turkish Ministry of Culture in 2001. He worked as an instructor at Anadolu University, Faculty of Fine Arts between 2001 and 2005. He founded the Department of Art Sciences – a first in Turkey – within the Graduate School of Social Sciences of Anadolu University, and started the Program in Fine Arts Theory and Criticism (2003). He currently works in Istanbul at the Işık University School of Fine Arts.
Halil Akdeniz is known in Contemporary Turkish Art through his art and his research writings. Begun around 1978 into the 1980s, with series such as “Visual Treatments of the Pollution in the Gulf of Izmir”, his artistic analyses, based on scholarly research concerning problems of the physical environments where he lived, continued with Ephesus, “Izmir – Visual Notes from the Ruins” and concentrate, in series encompassing different cultural regions, on Anatolian Civilizations – Intercultural; Anatolian Civilizations – Cultural Environment; Anatolian Civilizations – Cultural Logos; and Anatolian Civilizations – Cultural Remains. During this period, his work includes contemporary interpretations and artistic solutions using both artistic and extra-artistic elements which have been entered in many national and international exhibitions, biennales, triennials, art fairs, and museum exhibitions. He has received awards in many competitions, both national and international, including the gold medal First Prize at the Bulgaria 1st International Modern Art Festival – “process-space”. He was chosen as an artist for the "Artistic Use of Interior Spaces Project" in the Republic of Turkey Presidential Residence New Building, realizing a work called "Anatolian Civilizations-Intercultural" on the Library wall. His works are held in various museums and collections in Turkey and abroad. Besides two books on Turkish art and artists and articles in catalogues, Akdeniz has written many scholarly publications, research writings, papers, and articles.
Halil Akdeniz is also member of the UNESCO-AIAP International Association for the Plastic Arts and served as Chair of its Turkish National Committee, Representation in Ankara for a time. He is a member of the UNESCO-AICA International Association of Art Critics, founding member of the Turkish National Committee of AICA, and was granted honorary citizenship and is honorary member of Art Academy Münster.
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