Turkish Modern Artists Featured at 14th International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair

NEW YORK, NY.- Four leading Turkish modern artists, competitively selected by the Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF) will have the opportunity to present their work at the 14th International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair (SOFA NEW YORK), held from April 14-17 at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.

The four artists, Ayhan Tomak, Ebru Dosekci, Semra Ecer and Yildanur Ketenci, will exhibit at SOFA NEW YORK thanks to the support of the Turkish Cultural Foundation, a U.S. non-profit that promotes and preserves Turkish culture around the world, and builds cultural ties between Turkey and other countries. This is the fifth year that TCF has participated in SOFA and sponsored Turkish artists at the New York and Chicago fairs.

Every year, TCF selects a handful of promising artists from Turkey to represent the country’s diverse artistic talents at SOFA shows. TCF is the only non-profit organization represented at SOFA. The four artists include:

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

Ebru Dosekci is a sculpture artist who uses simple and clear lines, in order to give the viewer a sense of tranquility. Her creations challenge their 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.

Semra 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, Turkey.

Yildanur Ketenci specializes in 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 her sculpting, as well as painting, in Izmir, Turkey.

The artists represent a broad range of diversity in their mediums, but all hope that SOFA NEW YORK represents a turning point in their careers. Emel Vardar, an artist supported at SOFA NEW YORK 2010 by TCF, has noted that, “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.”