Semiha Berksoy exhibition opens at Istanbul Modern

ISTANBUL

An exhibition titled “Semiha Berksoy: Tüm Renklerin Aryası,” bringing together the multifaceted works of one of Türkiye’s most prominent women artists, will open tomorrow at Istanbul Modern.

The exhibition will present more than 200 works by Berksoy, ranging from performing arts to visual arts, and from cinema to literature.

Speaking at a press conference, Berksoy’s daughter, theater and film actor Zeliha Berksoy, reflected on her mother’s relationship with art.

She said her mother would enter an entirely different state while painting, seeking silence and focusing completely on her work. She noted that Berksoy’s works carried both a deep intellectual foundation and a strong sense of protest, and that she chose her materials instinctively — from canvas and bedsheets to cardboard and even refrigerator doors. According to her, Berksoy believed that when a material revealed itself, it was time to act.

“In her paintings, she reflected life, struggle and hope,” she said, adding that works taught viewers to face life with courage and optimism despite adversity. Zeliha Berksoy expressed pride and excitement at introducing her mother’s unique artistic universe to new generations through the exhibition at Istanbul Modern.

Istanbul Modern Chairperson Oya Eczacıbaşı said that increasing the visibility of female artists and bringing their work to wider audiences had been among Istanbul Modern’s priorities since its founding.

Describing Berksoy as a unique figure representing the pioneering role of women artists in Türkiye’s art history, Eczacıbaşı said the exhibition, the most comprehensive presentation of Berksoy’s work in the country, examines more than 70 years of artistic production and offers visitors an in-depth experience of her creative universe.

Istanbul Modern’s chief curator Öykü Özsoy Sağnak said the exhibition adopts a thematic approach, aiming to make visible Berksoy’s deep connection with the stage, her personal mythology and her interdisciplinary modes of production. Curator Deniz Pehlivaner added that Berksoy’s passion for art, her determination and devotion as a woman of the Republican era formed the main driving force behind her artistic practice. She noted that Berksoy’s paintings created a distinctive expressive space where bodily and emotional experiences from the opera stage were transferred onto canvas, intertwining personal memory with collective history.

Prepared by Sağnak, curator Deniz Pehlivaner and assistant curator Yazın Öztürk, the exhibition offers a thematic structure rather than a strictly chronological narrative, shaped around key turning points in Berksoy’s life.

At the center of the exhibition is the “Red Room,” evoking a stage atmosphere, alongside works inspired by opera, early drawings, pieces focusing on her mother Fatma Saime Hanım, self-portraits and portraits, as well as her well-known bedsheet paintings created on everyday fabrics.

Reflecting Berksoy’s multidisciplinary artistic identity, the exhibition also includes a room inspired by her 1935 short story “Mezardan Gelen Mektup” (Letter from the Grave) excerpts from films such as Türkiye’s first sound film “Istanbul Sokaklarında” (On the Streets of Istanbul) and “Söz Bir Allah Bir” (The Paradise of God), in which the artist appeared, as well as photographs and other ephemera.

From early drawings to opera-themed paintings, and from portraits to bedsheet works, the selection presents Berksoy’s personal mythology and her deep bond with the stage through a thematic framework. Istanbul Modern’s education and social projects department will also organize programs aimed at introducing different age groups to Berksoy’s multidisciplinary practice, offering children and young people opportunities to explore her creative processes in theater, painting and music.

The exhibition will run until Sept. 6.