Teyyar Tosun

Born in Istanbul in 1966, Teyyar Tosun completed his art education at the H.Z. Takizade University of Fine Arts in Baku. Based in Istanbul, the artist continues to develop his painting practice, participating in various exhibitions and art fairs in Turkey and abroad. His works are held in private collections and have also been presented through auction platforms.

At the heart of Tosun’s artistic practice is a strong relationship between painting, cinema and music. Since childhood, these three disciplines have influenced his visual world and have become an integral part of his artistic expression. Characters, scenes and atmospheres drawn from cinema, together with the rhythm and emotional qualities of music, are transformed into a personal visual memory within his paintings.

Particularly recognised for his portraits and figurative works, Tosun approaches the human face not merely as a subject of physical representation, but as a vehicle for emotion and character. His use of strong colour, expressive brushwork and areas of deliberately raw surface gives his paintings a dynamic and contemporary quality. The balance he establishes between careful observation and a free, gestural approach creates a distinctive visual language in his portraiture.

The artist places spontaneity and energetic brushwork at the centre of his creative process, exploring the psychological and emotional dimensions of the figure through colour, light and surface. This approach allows Tosun to reinterpret traditional portraiture through a contemporary and expressive pictorial language.

Selected Exhibitions and Artistic Activities

Teyyar Tosun’s works have been presented through galleries and art events in Turkey and internationally. In 2020, his works were exhibited at STEP Istanbul as part of the presentation by Cep Gallery. In 2021, he was also included in Cep Gallery’s presentation at the Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Istanbul.

His works have continued to reach collectors through Cep Gallery and international art platforms. Works including Alfred, David, She and Madonna have been catalogued as oil on canvas, reflecting the artist’s ongoing engagement with expressive figurative painting.

Tosun’s works have also appeared in the secondary art market and are held in various private collections. Continuing his practice in Istanbul, the artist develops a personal visual language shaped by the dialogue between contemporary painting, cinema, music and the expressive possibilities of the human figure.

Solo exhibitions
2018 Art Ankara Art Fair – Ankara
2017 Prologue Gallery – İstanbul
2016 Cep Gallery | Contemporary Exhibition Platform – İstanbul
2015 Sofyalı Art Project – İstanbul

Group exhibitions
2018 Galerie Lm – Luxemburg
2018 Art Ankara Contemporary Art Fair – Ankara
2017 Prologue Gallery – İstanbul
2016 Cep Gallery – İstanbul
2015 Sofyalı Art Project – İstanbul
2014 The MarMara Art Gallery – İstanbul

Fairs
2023 London Focus Art Fair - Cep Gallery - Saatchi Gallery - London
2021 Contemporary Istanbul - Cep Gallery - Istanbul
2020 Virtual Contemporary Istanbul - Cep Gallery - Istanbul
2020 Step Istanbul - Cep Gallery - Istanbul
2019 Art Prague Fair
2018 Art Ankara Contemporary Art Fair – Ankara