Mustafa Tunçalp

Mustafa Tunçalp was born in Diyarbakır in 1941. He started to paint when he was in primary school. He graduated from the State Applied Fine Arts School in 1966. He researched form and new models at the Buckeuburg-Kunst Ceramic Factory in Germany and the Istanbul Yıldız Porcelain Factory. He founded his own workshop in Izmir in 1969. Between 1971 and 1987, he worked as the manager of the Çanakkale Ceramic Art Workshop. He taught at Hacettepe University (1978-1982) and Dokuz Eylül University (1990-2002). He has been working as the art advisor to the Çanakkale Ceramic Factory since 1990. He won several awards: the Abdi İpekçi Friendship Award, the Italian Faenza Award and an award from the Turkish Ministry of Culture in Ceramics competition. Mustafa Tunçalp had many solo exhibitions both in Turkey and abroad. His art objects can be seen in famous museums and important private collections. "Bird" is the motif which contains many significations in the Anatolian tradition. Birds signify "happiness", "news", "woman" in Anatolia. His birds also have a special meaning for him. He published a book, Mustafa Tunçalp (Kale Seramik, Sanat Yayınları Serisi 5, 2003).