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Turkish Figurative Painting Studio Lineage Spans Five Decades at Pera Palace
The Galata Exhibition Hall show at Pera Palace follows the direct transmission of practice from Neşet Günal to the painters who trained in his studio between 1964 and 1983.
How we reported this
Pera Palace Hotel is hosting an exhibition drawn from the Demsa Collection that places works by Neşet Günal alongside pieces by the artists he taught, showing how one studio shaped Turkish figurative painting across decades.
The Studio Lineage on View
Curated under the title “The Master’s Hands: Artists Who Passed Through Neşet Günal’s Studio,” the display gathers paintings by Ahmet Umur Deniz, Asım İşler, Artin Demirci, Aydın Ayan, Cansen Ercan, Emel Şahinkaya (Günsür), Cemal Gürsel Soyel, Cihat Aral, Fahri Sümer, Hüsnü Koldaş, İnci Eviner, İrfan Okan, İrfan Önürmen, Kasım Koçak, Kemal İskender, Mahir Güven, Mehmet Güleryüz, Nedret Sekban, Neş’e Erdok, Nevhiz Tanyeli, Resul Aytemür, Sabahattin Tuncer and Serap Murath. The selection emphasises shared habits of observation and production rather than a single style, reflecting the discipline Günal instilled.
Neşet Günal’s Path and Teaching Years
Günal began his own studies at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts in 1939. From 1964 to 1983 he mentored successive groups of painters at the same institution, leaving a record of influence that the current exhibition maps through the works themselves. The show therefore records both the master’s own output and the continuing practice of those who passed through his studio.
Practical Details for Visitors
The exhibition remains on view at the Galata Exhibition Hall inside Pera Palace Hotel from 12 June to 31 July 2026. It is open every day except Monday between 10:00 and 18:00. Visitors can reach the hotel in the Pera district and enter the hall during those hours to see the full range of paintings assembled from the Demsa Collection.