In Memoriam: Turkish painter Burhan Dogancay, 88

Written by Associated Press

Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:33

This untitled abstract painting by Burhan Dogancay sold for $180,000 by Susanin's Auctions in 2010. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Susanin's Auctions.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkish painter Burhan Dogancay, whose work has been exhibited in some 70 museums worldwide, including New York's Metropolitan Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, has died. He was 83.

Bergin Azer, director of the Dogancay Museum, said the artist died Tuesday of an undisclosed illness in Istanbul.

Much of Dogancay's art was inspired by graffiti, torn posters and banners found on city walls. His museum in Istanbul, which opened in 2004, was the first contemporary art museum in Turkey.

Dogancay's paintings are part of the permanent collections at the Metropolitan Art Museum and the Guggenheim. One of his paintings sold for $1.7 million at an Istanbul auction in 2009 – the highest price paid for a contemporary art painting in Turkey.

Dogancay is survived by his wife.

AP-WF-01-16-13 1351GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

This untitled abstract painting by Burhan Dogancay sold for $180,000 by Susanin's Auctions in 2010. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Susanin's Auctions.

Last Updated on Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:48