The 14th International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair, or SOFA New York, will open this week with four artists from Turkey representing Turkish modern art with support from the New York-based Turkish Cultural Foundation. Events as part of the fair will include a popular lecture series organized with the participation of internationally prominent scholars, artists and curators


Four leading Turkish modern artists have been selected to present their work at the 14th International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair, or SOFA New York, an event globally recognized for cutting-edge decorative arts and design.

The fair runs from April 14 to 17 at the Park Avenue Armory in New York.

The four Turkish artists, Ayhan Tomak, Ebru Döşekçi, Semra Ecer and Yıldanur Ketenci, were competitively selected by the Turkish Cultural Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that promotes and preserves Turkish culture around the world, and builds cultural ties between Turkey and other countries.

Every year, the foundation selects a handful of promising artists from Turkey to represent the country’s diverse artistic talents at SOFA shows. This is the fifth year the organization has participated in SOFA events and sponsored Turkish artists at the New York and Chicago fairs.

Working in different mediums

Artist Tomak works in a wide range of mediums, including indoor mural paintings, reliefs and wooden sculptures. He has recently been developing new designs using mirrors and wood in the domain of functional art. He teaches wood sculpture and painting from his studio in Istanbul.

Döşekçi is a sculpture artist who uses clear, simple lines to give the viewer a sense of tranquility. Her creations challenge viewers to enter into an emotional, romantic, even melancholic state of mind. She previously exhibited nine works at SOFA Chicago 2009, and has received numerous sculpture awards in Turkey and abroad.

Ecer specializes in numerous mediums, including painting, stained-glass designs, sculpture and jewelry design, each adding a new dimension to her artistic expression. She has exhibited around the world and currently owns her own jewelry company and design showroom in Istanbul.

Ketenci focuses on sculptures that interpret the human form. Since 1990, she has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Turkey, Italy and Sweden, among other countries. She currently works on both her sculpture and painting in the Aegean city of İzmir.

The four artists represent a broad range of diversity in terms of their mediums, but all hope that SOFA New York will represent a turning point in their careers. “The unparalleled creativity evident in the exhibited works and the unlimited use of all manner of materials makes the SOFA fairs exceptional for visitors and artists alike,” said Emel Vardar, an artist supported at SOFA New York 2010 by the Turkish Cultural Foundation.

This year’s SOFA New York event will see the fair’s highly popular lecture series expanded to three days, with talks by internationally prominent scholars, artists and curators. In-booth artist talks are also planned at individual dealer stands.