ISTANBUL.- A selection of highlights from the important Turkish art collectors will be on display at the Antik A.S.. until Februrary 1st. The unique exhibition “Masterpieces from important collections” organized by Nurcan and Turgay Artam, brings together 50 remarkable works from important private collections.

The selection includes works by masters of the Turkish painting, including Osman Hamdi Bey, Şeker Ahmet Paşa, Hüseyin Zekai Paşa, Süleyman Seyyid, Halil Paşa, Şevket Dağ, Hoca Ali Rıza, İbrahim Çallı, Nazmi Ziya, Hikmet Onat, Avni Lifij, Sami Yetik, Feyhaman Duran and Naci Kalmukoğlu. The exhibiton will offer a unique opportunity to view works, which are rarely exhibited in public.

The paintings came together from generous collectors who kindly lent their most valuable works for this special exhibition. Tülin - Erdoğan Demirören, Demet Sabancı, Cengiz Çetindoğan, Mustafa Taviloğlu, Ahu - Can Has, Oya - Bülent Eczacıbaşı, Lucien Arkas, Kemal Bilginsoy, Yalçın Ayaslı, Murat Ülker, Berrak - Nezih Barut, Ender Mermerci, Numan Ceyhan, İsmail Koçak, Cem Kalyoncu, Sema Çağa are among the important collectors who lent their works and shared their collections with the public.

Turgay Artam, chairperson of Antik A.S., commented on the exhibition: "Antik A.S. is delighted to present the “masterpieces from the collections” exhibition. Consummate expressions of aesthetic poetry and artistic mastery, these paintings are also records of the refined taste and style of 19th century Turkish Art. By bringing these enchanting masterpieces together for the first time, this exhibition will provide a tremendous leap forward in restoring Turkish artists’ deserved place in the art world. At the end this is our main target” says Artam, “As we, Antik A.S. has been stating that our aim is to raise the involvement and the keen interest to culture and art in our country, and to introduce Turkish art and artist globally and to present the best of the best to our collectors.”

The exhibition will take place in Antik Palace Istanbul, where is the main bulding of Antik A.S.. Founded in 1981 by Nurcan and Turgay Artam, Antik A.Ş. was the first fully professional auction house established in Turkey. Antik A.S. organized the first Antiques Fair in the country and conducted great sales during the 80’s, 90’s and today remains as the leader Auction House in Turkish Art Market. Holding all the world sale records for Ottoman Art, Turkish painters and for numerous Orientalist Artists makes Antik A.S. the leading Turkish Auction house.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are the Osman Hamdi Bey’s two canvases. The lyrically beautiful “Girl arranging flowers” and “the mosque stairs” dated 1881. Hüseyin Zekai Paşa’s “Stilllife”, Halil Paşa’s “Winter and summer” Şeker Ahmet Paşa’s “Ottoman roses” and work by Nazmi Ziya, Şevket Dağ, Hoca Ali Rıza, İbrahim Çallı. The exhibition is giving art lovers an opportunity to see high quality works together, Antik A.S. invites all those who appreciate quality art to view the exhibition.