As part of its mission to support Turkish artists, TCF pioneered the annual showcasing of modern Turkish art at SOFA expositions in the United States.

TCF Selects Turkish Modern Artists for SOFA Chicago 2012

Six Turkish modern artists, competitively selected by the Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF) will have the opportunity to present their work at the TCF sponsored Turkish art display at the Sculpture Objects and Functional Art - SOFA Chicago fair on November 1 - 4, 2012.

This year’s artists are Cetin Ates, Adnan Dogan, Ipek Kotan, Zeynep Torun, Ahmet Yazici and Belgin Yucelen.

Cetin Ates is a metal sculpture artist. Ates is inspired by metaphors from life for his sculptures, touching on the themes of freedom and new beginnings. He uses a variety of material in his works, ranging from steel rods, sheet metal and wire to screws, nuts and nails, and generally applies arc-welding technique to create his sculptures.

Adnan Dogan is a sculpture artist. In his works, Dogan draws inspiration from humanity, its hopes, sorrow, yearning, and missing. He strives to express such noble feelings that belong to humanity in a defined shape or form.

Ipek Kotan explores the essence of the contemporary ceramic vessel in its simplest form.  Throwing on the wheel using Limoges porcelain and stoneware clay, she sketches out unique portraits of refined, haptic works. Using soft curves, pure forms and organic colors, Kotan strives to generate a tactile and visceral response from the viewer. 

Zeynep Torun creates her work using painting and ceramics. She has painted for children’s books and  founded her own ceramic workshop. Her ceramic pieces express stylized figures of women and children who play music and other figures of Istanbul and Bodrum.

Ahmet Yazici is a sculpture artist with an abstract style that is inspired by the human body and other natural creations. He curves and paints woods (Baltic Birch) and makes indoor sculptures and wall sculptures. His most influential inspiration is classical music, which helps him create balance and harmony between form and color in his pieces.

Belgin Yucelen goal as an artist is to create art that redefines beauty in human form focusing on our behaviors and communications.  Dreams, desires, passion together with despair and solitude are often portrayed in her work with a unique simplified style that allows the viewers to easily connect with her sculptures.

SOFA is widely recognized as one of the world's leading fairs of contemporary art and design and is visited each year by tens of thousands of prospective buyers, gallery and museum representatives. The TCF showcase of Turkish art at SOFA reflects the Foundation's mission to expand international opportunities for Turkish artists, as well as promote the finest examples of Turkish modern art. This is the 6th year that TCF will be participating in SOFA and has been the only non-profit organization presenting at the fair. The TCF display at SOFA Chicago 2012 will be curated with  Armaggan Art & Design Gallery.