ABOUT US
Established in 1996 in Bebek, Istanbul, by Evin and Ümit İyem, the second generation of a lineage of artists, Evin Art Gallery is a space for art that forms its relations with artists and collectors based on trust and aims to be a sincere environment where visitors experience authentic art that aims to connect with the society at large.
Evin has become one of the essential galleries of Turkey with over 200 exhibitions it has hosted since its inception.
The gallery is now run by the young descendants of the family who aim to keep up with the requirements of the times with an authentic and innovative outlook while fueled by the virtue of tradition.
Nuri İyem, Ümit İyem, Evin İyem ve Nasip İyem, 1982
Setenay Alpsoy tarafından 2022 yılında çizilen galeri binası
The gallery relocated in 2003 and resumes its operation in Büyük Bebek Deresi Street number 13, in a historical mansion that has the significance of being designed from the ground up with the intention of building an art gallery, a first in the country.
Besides the large, two-story exhibition space, a section where works of represented artists are continually showcased, İyem Library with its rare and signed art books, a section designated for occasional projects, a shop, offices, and a permanent artwork display is located inside the building.
The exhibition calendar primarily consists of represented artists' solo exhibitions and secondly features conceptual group exhibitions and solo exhibitions of guest artists. With the ideal of galleries operating as specialized spaces just as museums are, Evin emphasizes figurative plastic arts, its mainstay specialty since its inception, while having a selection of unique and innovative abstract, contemporary and performative artworks in exhibitions.
Taking art history in great regard, the gallery records the works of represented artists and arranges authenticity certificates for collectors, pioneering the gallery system in art circles of our country. By adopting ethical sale policies, the gallery helps people obtain desired works, bringing art lovers and works of art together.
To strengthen the relationship between art and society, the gallery, which brings together the rare and signed art books that the İyem Family has preserved for generations, is also preparing to open the corporate ephemera archive and the archives of the artists it represents to the use of researchers online.
The gallery holds Nuri İyem Painting Award since 2006 in memoriam of Nuri İyem, supporting young artists from Turkey every year. A selection committee consisting of experts in their fields selects the awardees and works to be displayed from hundreds of paintings coming from multiple provinces. An editioned bronze statue designed by Prof. Dr. Rahmi Aksungur and prize money is awarded to the winning artist.
Besides Nuri İyem Painting Award, in memoriam of one of the founders of the gallery, Evin İyem Special Prize consisting of a bronze reproduction of Nasip İyem’s sculpture and money prize has been given to a different artist since 2019. The awards are given to the winners by important representatives of arts and culture in a ceremony held in the gallery. A great number of painters who get displayed in the Nuri Iyem Painting Award pursue fruitful careers in art and keep on opening exhibitions throughout the years.
TEAM
Evin & Ümit İyem
Co-Founders
Osman Nuri İyem
Gallerist
Gizem Kâhya İyem
Director
Cem Ergül
Operations Executive