Timur Ulker

Timur was born in Turkey. He is largely a self-taught artist who started his education in art and history, later studying under a number of mentors before opening his own studio. For inspiration, he draws on his travels throughout Turkey and Europe.


One of his favorite subjects is Istanbul, whether in the form of vendors on Eminönü Pier, or crowds outside Hagia Sofia. To him, painting is a means of indelibly freezing a static moment in time. But he also sees painting as a means of depicting the passage of time, and with it, the arrival of change. Sometimes the places change, and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the people change - or they disappear, as new generations take their place. It’s all unnoticeable unless one looks carefully or records it with art - whether in the form of painting or photography.


In terms of capturing the static, Timur thinks of things like the impressive windows of Haydarpaşa Train Station. These magnificent portals that flood the majestic waiting areas with natural light look much the same today as they did in the 1930s, when people rushed to catch trains pulled by coal-burning steam locomotives. The locomotives may be electric now. The fashionable dress hats worn by women and men of the day may...