İSmet Üstekin

I was born on a cold and snowy winter evening, November 30, 1946, in Istanbul — a city that has shaped my life and art. Perhaps it is this early encounter with the quiet beauty of winter that has drawn me to paint snowy landscapes, like the one falling softly outside my window as I write these words.
Living in one of the world’s most enchanting cities, I have been fortunate to dedicate my life to art in its many forms: theatre, photography, and painting. These disciplines are bound by a shared foundation — observation. Together, they form a creative triangle reflecting both humanity and nature, enriching the artist’s vision, skill, and imagination.
From 1967 to 1971, I immersed myself in theatre, learning to embody the human spirit on stage. I have often thought of Leonardo da Vinci’s words: “Build me a figure whose posture reveals the soul within.” For me, this truth bridges acting and visual art alike — capturing not only the surface but the soul beneath.
My love of photography began in childhood and blossomed when I built my own darkroom in 1978. Through thousands of portraits, I learned that the eyes truly are the windows to the soul. Like painting, photography can capture this fleeting spirit — shaped by the photographer’s own...

I studied theater in 1967-1971, (Language and Culture Center/Theater Department) in the following years I played in many theaters and plays. I give acting classes and continue my theater life.
My passion for photography, which started in childhood, increased with the darkroom I established in 1978 and has reached today.
After the overlap of Theater and Photography, the desire to paint began. I started painting in 1981 without any education. In 1982, I attended Professor Sabri Berkel's Workshop for a short time.

I opened my first painting exhibition in 1984.
Between 1984-2000, I opened 14 personal exhibitions
İn Istanbul, Ankara and 8 cities in Anatolia with my works consisting of oil paints and pastel paints. I participated in group exhibitions. I have many paintings in personal and corporate collections.
In February and March 2007, I opened two digital print Fotores exhibitions in two galleries. I made virtual exhibitions of digital Fotores on the Internet.
In 2013, my two digital, 25x20 in and 20x25 in Orange Color Series Fotores works were accepted to the 'IMOGA Istanbul Museum of Graphic Arts'. They were the first digital works to enter the original printmaking museum.

FOTORES
Fotores is a pioneering approach that reveals how digital art can be more than a technical tool—it can be a poetic language. Rooted in İsmet Üstekin’s experience in analog photography and painting, this visual method creates a space where memory, dreams, and perception converge.
Each image in Fotores is a reimagined impression—an inner vision reshaped through digital memory. These early works from 2007–2010 don’t reflect hesitation, but the bold enthusiasm of an artist embracing transformation.