Sculptor (B. January 26th 1906, Istanbul-
D. 1962). In 1924, enrolled and became a student of İhsan Ozsoy at the Academy
of Fine Arts (afterwards called as Mimar Sinan University). Having graduated
from the school (1928), he was granted a scholarship and went to Paris. He studied in
Marcel Guimond’s ateliler in Colarossi
Academy until 1932. He
opened his first personal exhibition in Alay Mansion (1932) when he returned to
Istanbul, which was the first sculptor exhibition in Turkey. He gave courses in
Samsun High School and appointed as a sculptor to İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzesi
(T.N. Istanbul Archaeological Museum) in 1936. Then, he was appointed as an arts
teacher to Ankara Gazi Education Institution. In 1940, he was appointed as an
instructor in the department of Sculpture in Devlet Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi
(T.N. State Academy for Fine Arts) and became the director of Wood Practices
Atelier. He reached professor level in the same institution (1969) and two
years later, since he was obliged due to age restrictions, he retired.
Zühtü Müridoğulu, who created his sculptors with a figurative
understanding, was the sole sculptor among the founders of “D grubu” (T.N. group
D). He made considerable contributions to the development of sculpture art in Turkey. He was impressed
by A. Maillol’s arrangements and harmony in his first works of art. He used
soft shaping methods on his figurative sculptures. After a while, he abandoned
the understanding of figure and sustained his works initially on small volumes
of baked terracotta and then by dressing wood and forging copper. He began to
create his first abstract studies as of 1950. In the beginning, he practised
natural patterns on sculptures and reliefs in a stylized manner. In the middle
of the 1950’s; he changed his route on geometrical abstract style and he became
one of the first representatives of this understanding in Turkey. He also
sculptured “Barbaros Monument” (1942) in Beşiktaş with Hadi Bara, “Atatürk
Monument” and “İnönü Statue” (1946) in Zonguldak as well as his small-sized
sculptures. Moreover, he also sculptured the relief located at the western side
of grand stairs in front of Anıtkabir (1953) and large compositions such as
Atatürk Statues in Büyükada and Muş. (1965)
He produced a serial of abstract sculptures named as “Mezar
Taşı” (T.N. Grave Stone) between 1963 and 1967. In 1970, he began to create
sculptures free from details in addition to abstract sculptures. He modelled
small-sized clay statues as well in the second half of the 1970’s. He continued
his figurative and abstract sculptures at the same time and used various
materials such as stone, wood, plaster, copper and iron in the 1980’s. Müridoğlu
has drawings and ceramic works as well as sculpture works.
Zühtü Müridoğlu participated in Venice
and San Paolo biennials, apart from the exhibitions he opened in Turkey. His
master pieces were displayed in Rodin Museum in Paris
for three times and also in International Modern Sculpture Exhibition. He was
awarded with a degree in many monument projects. He was awarded with a grand
prize in 11st State Exhibition for Drawing and Sculpture in 1940 and
runner-up prize in 17th Devlet Resim ve Heykel Sergisi (T.N. State
Exhibition for Drawing and Sculpture). He obtained a reward for his masterpiece
named “Bilinmeyen Siyasi Esir” (T.N. Unkown Political Captive) in a sculpture
competition organized by the London Modern Artists Institutions in 1953. He was
granted with a sculpture prize by the Persian Ministry of Art and Culture in
the 5th Tehran Biennial in 1966 and Plastic Arts Reward by Sedat
Simavi Foundation in 1977 (together with painter Cevat Dereli) and Atatürk Art
Prize in 1981. He also gained Achievement Award by the Ministry of Culture in
1981. The great master of Turkish sculpture was commemorated with a
retrospective exhibition displayed in Yapı Kredi Kazım Taşkent Art Gallery for the
100th anniversary of his death. A book named “Zühtü Müridoğlu- Resim-Heykel:
Bütün Bir Yaşam (T. N. Paint-Sculpture: An Overall Life) was published about him. (Written and prepared by: Korkut
E. Erdur, Istanbul 2006). The majority of his works is displayed in İstanbul
Resim ve Heykel Müzesi (T.N. Istanbul Paint and Sculpture Museum).
