Poet and painter (b. 1955, Yukarıseyit / Çal / Denizli). He contracted polio when he was two years old and underwent surgery ten times. He attended primary school in his village, secondary school in Çal, high school in Denizli (1974) and graduated from İstanbul State Fine Arts Academy (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University) in 1980. He received his doctorate at Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts in 1982. He worked as a painter settling this city where his father had come to work.
Halil Gülel, who writes poems in
the tradition of folklore poetry with syllabic meter, generally uses the themes
of the morality of Islam, patriotism and being a foreigner in his works. He has
exhibited his paintings in individual and group shows in various cities.
His stories and research have appeared in many newspapers and reviews in
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Holland and Germany.
He illustrates and writes articles about the problems of
emigrant workers. He has given conferences on education and culture identity in
Germany and in different European countries. He has filmed several programs for
local television and Arayış (Searching, 1994) for the Turkish Radio and
Television Corporation International. He has also taken part in live
broadcasts. He develops projects on culture, art and ideas about the formation
of the Western Europe Turkish minority and is involved with current art
movements. He received an award from Büyük
Anadolu (Ankara) Newspaper with his poem Aşığın Gönlü (Lover’s
Heart) in 1989, the first prize from the Bizim Kuşak review with Daha
Çok Sevinirdim (Much More Would Please Me), the Special Jury Award in the
1st European Bards Contest in 1990 and the second prize again from Büyük
Anadolu in 1992. Some of his poems have been set to music.
WORKS:
POETRY: Onların
Destanı (Their Epic, 1990), Yarının
Adı Ümittir (The Name of Tomorrow is Hope, 1990), Türk Dünyası Destanı (The Epic of the Turkish World,1992), Türk Birliğine Doğru (Towards The Union
Of the Turks,1993), Muhabbet Bağının
Gülleri (The Roses of Love Sorcery,
1999), Bir Ergenekon Bin Ergenekon
(One Ergenekon, A Thousand Ergenekons,1999), Türkün Altın Işığı (The Golden Light of the Turk, 2001), Sevdikçe Şenlenir Kırmızı Güller (Roses
Become Happy When There is Love, 2001), Sırrımı
Gönlümde Gizledim (I Hid My Secret in My Heart, 2003).
SHORT STORY: Yabanda Solan Güller (Roses Withering in the Wilderness, 1999), Bizim Köyden Mektuplar (Letters from our Village, 2001).
REFERENCE: Azerbeycan Anasözü dergisi (1992), Vedat Yeşilçiçek / Gurbetçi Şair Halil Gülel (Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi (cilt: III, sayı: 2, Aralık 2001), Halil Gülel / Sevdikçe Şenlenir Kırmızı Güller (2001), İhsan Işık / Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007).
