Rahmi Pehlivanlı
Curriculum Vitae of Rahmi Pehlivanlı ;
1926 He was born in Ankara/Keskin. His mother’s name was Gülşen and his father’s Hacı Ömer.
1932 He completed his primary education in Keskin, and after that he moved to the Kırıkkale Military Secondary School.
1940-1950 He painted as an amateur and engaged in commerce in Ankara for a while.
1941-1944 He completed his military service in the Ankara Cavalary Battalion.
1950 He painted protraits of prominent managers in Ankara and continued painting as he visited Anatolia.
1952 He worked as a teacher at the Bahçelievler Secondary School.
1952 At the invitation of the Defense Ministry his portrait of the Aziziye heroine “Nene Hatun” was taken to be exhibited at the Harbiye Military Museum
1953 He was appointed as police officer to the Security Directorate.
1953 He was put in charge of painting Atatürk’s house by Celal Bayar, the president of the Turkish Republic. He also worked on furnishing it with Professor Enver Ziya Karal and his wife. The painting, “The house in which Atatürk was born,” is now in the presidential collection.
1953-1990 More than 25 kings, queens and statesmen invited him to paint their portraits.
1955 He went to England for an operation to remove a cyst from his hand, the result of holding his pallette. It was his second trip abroad after one to Thessaloniki
1956 He worked in many studios and museums in Europe.
1956-1961 He held exhibitions in Middle Eastern countries like Cyprus, Lebanon, Libya and Iraq, and painted portraits.
1958 He moved to London and purchased a studio and house.
1961-1969 He went to Africa and worked on portraits of well-known kings and leaders.
1967 He was given an award by Pope Paul VI for one of his works called “Adultery.”
1967 An album of his works was published in Italy.
1969 He set up a studio and office in Castelfranco, Italy.
1969 He won first prize in the portrait division with his “Kel Mıstık” at an international art exhibition held on the Cote d’Azur.
1972 He returned to Türkiye after 17 years.
1973 Following a decision regarding the battleship Yavuz, he decided to paint it. This work is now at the Istanbul Naval Museum.
1978 He was chosen “Man of the Year” by the Pan news agency.
1978 He made a series of 16 paintings of Atatürk and foreign statesman who visited Türkiye between 1926 and 1938. This was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic.
1981 He was given the diploma “Accademico Benemerito” and made honorary professor by the Italian Accademia Universale Roma.
1981 His “30th Year of Art Exhibition” was opened by President Kenan Evren at the Ankara State Painting and Sculpture Museum.
1982 His “30th Year of Art Exhibition” was opened by Prime Minister Bülent Ulusu in Topkapı Palace, The same exhibition was held at the Izmir State Painting and Sculpture Museum that same year.
1952-1982 During his professional artistic life, most openings of his exhibitions were carried out by statesmen. These included five in Türkiye and 60 in various centres and museums of the world. Some of the works for which Pehlivanlı won prizes are in 17 museums and important collections in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Türkiye. He won various prizes and awards because of these works.
1982 He started to prepare his “My Colourful Türkiye” collection.
1984 He married Nurhan Pehlivanlı .
1984 Together with his wife Nurhan, he started to travel all around Türkiye and began to collect the paintings for “My Colourful Türkiye”.
1988 He was invited by the U.S.S.R Ministry of Culture’s Fine Arts Academy to do research and to give lectures in universities.
1988 One of his paintings, “Ephesus,” was awarded a silver medal by Pope John Paul II.
1992 The project “My Colourful Türkiye” was largely completed.
1989-1992 He worked as a lecturer at Gazi University’s Department of Painting.
1992 He passed away on 24th of August.
Exhibitions
1952 Joint Exhibition, Ankara
1955 Literature Faculty Auditorium, Ankara
1956 Unesco, Beirut
1956 Damascus State Museum, Syria
1956 Baghdad Art Academy, Iraq
1956 Badgodesberg Press Embassy, Germany
1957 London Turkish-Anglo Saxon Club, England
1958 Joiny Exhibition at the Royal Academy, London
1959 Ledra Palace , Fine Art society- Lefkoşe, Cyprus
1960 Ledra Palace, Lefkosa, Cyprus
1960 Hampa Street, Turkish Embassy, Beyrut
1961 Hotel St. George- Beyrut- Lebanon
1961 Gallery Hamra, Beirut, Lebanon
1961 Hotel Vaddan, Trablus, Libya
1962 Municipality City Gallery, Tunusia
1963 Grand Hotel, Oslo, Norway
1963 Berlin Hilton, Germany
1963 Cosmopolitan Club, Hamburg, Germany
1963 Uryon Gato 9-Helsinki, Finland
1963 Rotterdam Hilton, the Netherlands
1964 Association of Painters, Lagos, Nigeria
1964 Hotel Stanley Gallery, Nairobi, Kenia
1965 State Gallery, Accra, Ghana
1966 National Library, Lusaka, Zambia
1966 Edinburg Hotel, Kitway, Zambia
1967 Town Hall, Asmara, Ethiopia
1967 Town Hall Honour Hall, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
1968 Grand Hotel, Khartoum, Sudan
1969 Reproduction Exhibition, Bengazi, Libya
1969 Hotel Hilton, Malta
1969 Turkish Embassy, Rome, Italy
1969 Milano Art Gallery, Italy
1970 State Gallery, Algeria
1970 Galerie Decoeuverte, Morocco
1970 Molla Abdullah Palace, Rabat, Morocco
1970 Sheraton Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
1971 Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal
1974 University Gallery, Dallas,U.S.A.
1974 Groyden Municipality Gallery, Houston, U.S.A.
1975 State Painting and Sculpture Gallery, Exhibition of Atatürk Collection, Ankara
1976 State Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1977 R.C.D.- Ministry of Culture, Tehran, Iran
1977 Rawalpindi Liaquat Memorial Hall, Pakistan
1977 Lahor, Pakistan
1977 Islamabad, Pakistan
1977 Kabul Nenderay Palace of Culture, Kabul, Afghanistan
1977 Madden Galleries, London, England
1978 Intercontinental Hotel Opera Hall, Istanbul
1978 Press Association, Brussels, Belgium
1981 State Museum of Cairo -Egypt
1981 State Painting and Sculpture Museum, the 30th Art Year Exhibition
1982 Topkapı Palace, Istanbul
1982 State Painting and Sculpture Museum- Izmir
1988 Athens Municipality Palace, Greece
1991 Türkiye Halk Bank Art Gallery, Ankara
Foundation exhibition after his death;
1993 Anatolian Civilization Museum, Ankara
1993 State Painting and Sculpture Museum Rahmi Pehlivanlı Retrospective Exhibition, Ankara
1995 State Painting and Sculpture Museum, Türkiye Collection Exhibition
1996 Underwater Archaeology Museum Gallery, Bodrum
Museums and Collections which display Rahmi Pehlivanlı’s Works;
- Ankara, Presidential Palace (Atatürk’s House, Portraits of Atatürk)
- Ankara, Parliament Collection (Atatürk, Historical compositions)
- Ankara, National Library (Maraş Ironmonger Market)
- Ankara, State Painting and Sculpture Museum (Aşık Veysel)
- Ankara Literature Faculty (1893 War, Kunuri War, Atatürk)
- Ankara Language and History Institution (Atatürk)
- Istanbul, Harbiye Military Museum (Nene Hatun)
- Istanbul, Naval Museum (Yavuz Zırhlısı)
- Istanbul, Topkapı Palace Museum (IV. Murat)
- Istanbul, Municipality Palace (Portrait of Fatih)
- Italy, Florence Museum (Zina- Tunisian Belly Dancer)
- Holland, Boog Wilhestadt National Museum (Mirror- Cypriot Folk Poet)
- Zambia, National Museum (Christmas Flowers)
- Egypt, National Museum (Atatürk)
- U.S.A., Texas, Houston Gallery (Little Bird)
- U.S.A., New York, Divicon Ltd. Gallery (Sand Storm, The Great Desert)
- U.S.A., Los Angeles, Richard Gatti Collection (Street Dancer- Moracco, Bon Viveur)
In addition to these, there are many of his pictures of Atatürk and Anatolia in the collections of various state foundations and banks such as İş Bank, Ziraat Bank, Halk Bank, Emlak Bank, Sümerbank, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade.