Ahmet Gunestekin: A Kurdish artist dominates world galleries
Kurdish artist Ahmet Güneştekin was born in Batman in 1966. He has been living in Istanbul for almost three decades. However, his work is not confined to Turkey. He says, “No place is left in the world that has not shown my work.”
Güneştekin tells Rudaw that he has kept his Kurdish identity and many in the world refer to him as a Kurdish artist from Turkey.
Besides Marlborough, 6 other galleries work with me now. There are exhibitions for my work in about 26 countries. It is like this so far.”
“Artists are those who are loved by people, but feared by authority,” he says. “Because artists are courageous and they criticize.”
Güneştekin says that Kurdish stories and myths from his childhood are reflected in some of his work and as an adult he embarked on visiting many of the places he heard in the stories as a child.
“For a number of years, I compiled documentary photos,” he said. “This was the start of my work. I made these legends my models, and this amazed the world. However, the main inspiration for me was Mesopotamia.”
Güneştekin tells Rudaw that he has kept his Kurdish identity and many in the world refer to him as a Kurdish artist from Turkey.
Besides Marlborough, 6 other galleries work with me now. There are exhibitions for my work in about 26 countries. It is like this so far.”
“Artists are those who are loved by people, but feared by authority,” he says. “Because artists are courageous and they criticize.”
Güneştekin says that Kurdish stories and myths from his childhood are reflected in some of his work and as an adult he embarked on visiting many of the places he heard in the stories as a child.
“For a number of years, I compiled documentary photos,” he said. “This was the start of my work. I made these legends my models, and this amazed the world. However, the main inspiration for me was Mesopotamia.”