Semih İrteş

M. Semih İrteş was born in Istanbul in 1952. He learned illumination and decoration (kalemişi) works from his father Sabri İrteş in 1968. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts. Between 1973 and 1980, he attended Prof. Dr. Süheyl Ünver’s illumination classes at the Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medical Science History, and received a professional license. Since 1970, İrteş has been restoring decoration works and taught Turkish illumination Art at the Topkapı Palace Museum. He has also taught at several universities such as Mimar Sinan University (1981-1983) and Konya Selçuk University (2003-2007). In 1991, İrteş founded “Sema Nakışhanesi” with Mamure Öz. They have restored decoration works, and illuminated in numerous mosques in Turkey and abroad including Aşkabat Ertuğurul Gazi Mosque, Tokyo Mosque, Berlin Martyrdom Mosque, and Grozny Hacı Kadirov Mosque. Since 1974, İrteş has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Turkey and foreign countries. Currently, İrteş continues his work, and teaches illumination and decoration works at the “Nakkaş Tezyini Arts Center”, which he founded in the Tekke building of Valide-i Atık Complex in Üsküdar in 2008.

Reference: nakkas.net, klasikturksanatlarivakfi.com