Sculptor (B. February 2, 1928, Istanbul- D. February 04, 1976,
Istanbul). He graduated from Istanbul Sultanahmet Commerce High School in 1948.
He won the State Fine Arts Academy Department of Sculpture entrance exam in
1949 and studied head etudes with Rudolf Belling for two years; and wood
carving with Zuhtu Muritoglu for two years. Following year, he attended Hadi Bora
Workshop. Kuzgun searched for new material during those years, met with iron at
ship dismantling workshops, and learned processing techniques and welding from
experts. He was affected from the art perception of his teachers and conducted geometric-abstract
works with iron wires in 1950s. While he was a student in third year at
Academy, he opened his first individual exhibition at Maya Art Gallery in 1952.
He graduated from the Academy as "High Sculptor" in the same year.
In 1954, he has participated to Second State Fine Arts Academy Turkish
Painting and Sculpture Exhibition with his works named rope, copper and handle.
He has exhibited his mixed exhibitions at Maya Art Gallery in this period. He
was married to Münire Abdusef in 1955 and opened his second individual
exhibition in Maya Art Gallery. Next year, he exhibited his first gauze works
in City Gallery at the exhibition opened together with young artists. He
participated to Venice Biennal same year with a sculpture made from gauze. He
taught painting in Istanbul Ataturk High School and painting and art history
lectures in Sultanahmet Commercial High School.
In 1957, he displayed his wire sculpture works at the individual
exhibition in American News Center. He searched for new forms by using iron,
bronze, metal, wire, nails and oxygen between the years 1958-1960. He
participated to "Sixth San Paolo Biennal" in 1961 with three iron
sculptures. He has also participated to "International Young Artists
Biennal" same year with two iron sculptures made from nails in Paris and
won "Paris City First Prize" in the area of sculpture. He went to
France by using the scholarship provided with this prize. He received the first
prize in sculpture at 23rd State Painting and Sculpture exhibition. He
participated in Venice State Painting and Sculpture exhibition and was awarded
with mention. Artist lived in France between the years 1961 and 1963, he
arranged an exhibition at Paris Modern Art Museum in 1962; his two patterns and
a sculpture were taken within the museum collection.
He opened an exhibition in 1963 with an Italian artist ay Galerie La
Cloche, which remained open for two years. His fifth individual exhibition was
opened at Istanbul German Cultural Center and it consisted of patterns he made.
He returned to Istanbul in 1965 and married with Biga Berker. His son Yunus was
born in 1966. Kuzgun attended Sinematek activities in these years and took part
in Sinematek executive board. Meanwhile, he was working on "Turkey"
sculpture. He has also made big abstract wall composition on Istanbul Textile
Sellers Bazaar. He mounted his sculpture named "Turkey", which was 13
meters long and 6 meters wide, made from iron and bronze material on the outer
surface of Ankara Kizilay Emek Business Center in 1967. He made another
sculpture for Ankara Ziraat Bank in the same year but it disappeared. Next
year, he did mask and decorative works at "Street Theater" with
Mehmet Ulusoy and Ali Ozgenturk and at "Workers' Theater" with Mehmet
Ulusoy and Can Yucel.
He participated in "Bridge to Zap, not to Bosphorus" campaign
of Milliyet newspaper in 1969 to produce a documentary. He went to Eastern
Anatolia with a team of foreign mountaineers. Upon his return, he opened an
exhibition with Abidin Dino at Galeri 1. He prepared the masks and decorations
of "Hamlet 70" play for Bakirkoy Public House. He married to Fersa
Pulhan in 1971. Next year, he started to operate "Kuzgun's Place - Genoan
Pub" at Galata Tower. He has organized Galata Art Gallery in the same
place and opeend up mixed exhibitions of Tan Oral, Gültekin Çizgen and Orhan
Taylan. In 1973, within the framework of fiftieth anniversary of Cumhuriyet, he
made a sculpture in Gulhane Park, which was lost. In 1974, they have painted unique dresses for
Nisantası Dilberler store with Painter Orhan Taylan. In the same year, he has
established a 13 m. long composition on the wall of "Training and Rest
Facilities" of Mine Union in Gonen; which represented the worker, worker's
family and the employer. His "Turkey" sculpture in Ankara Kizilay
Emek Business Center was dismantled.
He went back to Paris in 1974-1975. His 140 masks he made for the play
Caucasian Chalk Office staged by Mehmet Ulusoy is his last work on this. He
prepared a documentary movie for TRT with Cihat Burak, but this film was also
lost. Kuzgun Acar has organized a sculpture symposium for Antalya Municipality
with 20 other sculptors and made the "Hand" sculpture for Hasim Iscan
during these activities. Then he started to write theater critics in
"Tiyatro 75" journal. He died in his studio in February 4, 1976,
Ortakoy /Istanbul due to apoplexy.
WORKS:
"Birds" in Istanbul Textile Sellers Bazaar and the relievo in
Ankara Emek Business center.
EXHIBITIONS:
1961 Paris Genç Sanatçılar Bienali (1st prize), 1962 Devlet Resim ve
Heykel Sergisi (1st prize), Venedik Devlet Resim ve Heykel Sergisi (honorable
mention), 1966 Paris Rodin Müzesi Sergisi.
REFERENCE: Hüseyin
Gezer - Berk, Nurullah Berk / Elli Yılın Türk Resim ve Heykeli (1973), Hüseyin Gezer / “Cumhuriyet Dönemi Türk
Heykeli”, 1984), Eczacıbaşı Sanat Ansiklopedisi (v. 1, 2008).