Nijad Sirel

Nijad Sirel (1897 – 1959)

Born in 1897 in Amasya, he went to Germany to study sculpture, and became a student of Professor Kahn at the Munich Fine Arts Academy. He returned to Türkiye in 1922 and worked as a painting teacher. He was appointed to the Fine Arts Academy for a short while in 1927.

The artist produced works in different styles and attracted considerable attention, eventually being appointed director of the academy.

Busts and monuments to Atatürk are his finest works; The Bolu Monument to Atatürk (1940), Çanakkale Monument to Atatürk , Malatya Monument to Atatürk (with Hakkı Atatmutlu) and the Bursa Monument to Atatürk ( with Mahir Tomruk) are the most important of these.