Avni Arbaş and “Retrospective 98”

“Retrospective 98,” an exhibition presenting sixty years of artistic production by one of the significant figures of Turkish painting, Avni Arbaş, was held at the Milli Reasürans Art Gallery between May 5 and June 7, 1998. The exhibition brought together a comprehensive selection of works from different periods of the artist’s career, offering an overview of the evolution of his artistic approach.

Born in 1919, Avni Arbaş began drawing in his childhood under the guidance of his father. He later continued his studies at Galatasaray High School and, in 1937, entered the State Academy of Fine Arts in Istanbul, where he studied under Léopold Lévy. In 1946, he went to Paris with a scholarship from the French government. Although the scholarship lasted only one year, Arbaş remained in Paris for nearly three decades. These years played a decisive role in shaping his artistic identity and led him to be associated with the artists of the Paris School.

Throughout his career, Arbaş exhibited his work in various countries and became known for his figurative approach, powerful use of color, and distinctive compositions. His paintings frequently address historical and social themes, with subjects such as Atatürk, the Turkish War of Independence, horses, the sea, and portraits forming important elements of his artistic vocabulary. The poet Nazım Hikmet was inspired by Arbaş’s paintings on the War of Independence and wrote the poem “Avni’s Horses.”

In 1964 Arbaş was stripped of his Turkish citizenship and was forced to live abroad for many years. He was able to return to Turkey in 1976 with special permission and was later granted citizenship again. During his career he held numerous exhibitions in Paris, Istanbul, and the United States, developing a personal pictorial language while remaining committed to figurative painting.

“Retrospective 98” aimed to present the continuity and development of Avni Arbaş’s artistic vision through works from different phases of his career. The exhibition highlighted the balance of figure, color, and line in his paintings and revealed the strong relationship between the artist’s work, his life experiences, and historical memory. This retrospective provided an opportunity to reassess Arbaş’s place in Turkish painting and his more than sixty years of artistic production.