Ahmet Yakupoğlu (1920-2016 Kütahya):

He was born on November 1920 in Saray District of Kütahya. He is the son of Hacı Halil Ağa and Şefika Hanım from Yakupoğulları. Yakupoğlu, who started his first education at Derviş Pasha Primary School in 1927, had the chance to meet Süheyl Ünver, one of the professors of Istanbul University, who came to Kütahya to study the manuscripts in the Vahid Pasha Provincial Public Library. Yakupoğlu, who entered the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts entrance exam after Kütahya High School with very beautiful and successful paintings, chose the Painting Department Feyhaman Duran Workshop with the proposal of Süheyl Ünver Bey and graduated from here (1941-1945). During his years in Istanbul, he took miniature and illumination lessons from Prof. Süheyl Ünver, ney from Neyzen Halil Dikmen, and music lessons from Neyzen Nurullah Kılınç Bey and Süleyman Erguner. After returning to Kütahya, Yakupoğlu, who also deals with museums besides painting, took the first place in opening, arranging and staffing the Vacidiye Madrasa as a museum. After working in this museum for four years, İ. Ü. He completed his specialty by assisting Süheyl Ünver Bey at the Institute of Medical History.

Using the surname “Çalışel” until 1964, Ahmet Yakupoğlu donated his paintings, library and his home in the Maltepe district of Kütahya to Dumlupınar University. Ahmet Yakupoğlu, who is known as the ‘Biggest Turkish Miniature Master Living’, is a painter, a museum and a neyzen. He did not have many exhibitions, he said that his home was an exhibition. His humility, wise personality, a temperament that does not care about glory and fame, Ahmet Yakupoğlu, with his patience and perseverance, made it possible to announce the name of Kütahya in culture and art. He lived as a volunteer in the public, and dedicated himself to Kütahya as Kütahya’s ‘Brother Ahmet’ and ‘Painter Ahmet’. The 96-year-old artist, living in Izmir with his spiritual daughter Havva Sökmener, was brought to his hometown in Kütahya on 30 August 2015 by the Rectorate of Kütahya Dumlupınar University and was accepted as a guest at Kütahya Dumlupınar University Evliya Çelebi Education and Research Hospital for thirteen months. Aziz Ahmet Yakupoğlu died on 2 October 2016 in the hospital where he was treated. Ahmet Yakupoğlu’s funeral prayer was made by his countryman and also his ney and painting student, Marmara Theology Faculty lecturer Assist. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Nuri Uygun. The body of the late Yakupoğlu was buried next to his mother and father in the Ahi Erbasan Cemetery in Hıdırlık.

Ahmet Yakupoğlu, who died in Kütahya on October 2, 2016, has hidden himself. A period has ended in Turkish Painting. He is the last representative of the Üsküdarlı Hoca Ali Rıza Bey and Ord. Professor Dr. Süheyl Ünver school. Ahmet Yakupoğlu, who will always live in our hearts, is a great artist who has reached immortality with his thousands of works. He will be immortal with his works and foundation relics he left and will always live in hearts. Rest in peace…

Awards:

• In 1995 “My Street and Tiled Mosque” Miniature, Art and Culture of Turkey Business Bank Outstanding Service Award by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
• President of Republic of Turkey in 2013, was awarded the Grand Prize of Culture and Arts.

Books:

• “Bosphorus from the Brush of Ahmet Yakupoğlu” Turkish Petrol Foundation Cultural Publications, 1983, Istanbul.
• “Colorful Kutahya”, Turkish Petroleum Foundation Cultural Publications, 1991, Istanbul (Turkish – English).
• “Istanbul and Istanbul Painter Ahmet Yakupoğlu in Painting” Ministry of Culture General Directorate of Fine Arts Publications, December 2002, Ankara.
• He has four works published as “Nasrettin Hoca with Miniatures”., Konya Metropolitan Municipality Culture Directorate Publications 28, 1999, Istanbul (Ottoman – Turkish – English)
• ” Ahmet Yakupoğlu Symposium Book ”, Dumlupınar University, 27-28 October 2011, Kütahya.
• “Ahmet Yakupoğlu İstanbul, Ahmet Yakupoğlu Anadolu”, T.C. Prime Ministry TOKİ Kültür Publications, November 2016, Mas Publishing, Istanbul.