Bedri Baykam
Encyclopedia
Life
Baykam's father Dr. Suphi Baykam was a deputy in the Turkish parliament and his mother Mutahhar Baykam an architect-engineer. Baykam claims that he started to paint when he was only two years old, and has had several exhibitions since the age of six in Bern, Geneva, New York, Washington, London, Rome, Munich, Stockholm, etc. during his childhood years. He also claims that he was recognized as a child prodigy, although there are no valuable records to prove his claims.Baykam studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris from 1975 to 1980 and got an MBA degree. During this time, he also studied drama in L'Actorat, Paris. He lived in California during the years 1980-1987, studied painting and film-making at the California College of Arts and Crafts, in Oakland. He had several shows in New York, California and Paris. He returned to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in 1987 and has been living in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
since.
He has had 97 one-man-shows in various countries in addition to participating in numerous group shows.
To date, he authored eighteen books, five of which were on art (one in English), and eleven on politics.
One of his more well-known books, "Monkeys' Right to Paint" published in Turkish and English, brings to light the plight of non-western artists and severely criticizes the prejudiced attitude of the western art establishment that keeps building a one sided, all western art-history.
Baykam is also the writer of a controversial novel The Bone, published in December 2000.
A turn of the Century novel around sex, death, philosophy new sciences, technology and spying, The Bone is claimed to have predicted the events of September 11. The Bone has been published English in 2005.
Baykam also obtained many prestigious placements as a tennis player throughout the 70s at Turkey Championships.
Baykam is one of the pioneers of the New Expressionism movement and of multi-media and photo-painting oriented political art. Since the beginning of the 80's. He directed several 16 mm. short films and has acted in several parts in feature films in Turkey as an actor.
He is working actively for some associations, such as the Association for Supporting the Contemporary Living and Atatürk Thought Association
Atatürk Thought Association
Atatürk Thought Association is a secular organization that espouses the ideas of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. The group is opposed to the Islamist tenets enacted by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Iran and wants to ensure that religion and state remain separate in Turkey...
.
He is also one of the founders of UNESCO-AIAP-IAA International Association of artists Turkish National Committee.
Between 1995 and 1998, he was an elected member of the Party Assembly of the Social Democrat "Republican People's Party
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
".
Baykam was also a candidate for the Presidency of this Party in October 2003, at the General Congress in Ankara. He is one of the most outspoken defenders of Kemalism.
Baykam who the founded and directed the monthly art magazine Skala between 2000 and 2002, also writes for the daily Cumhuriyet
Cumhuriyet
Cumhuriyet is a centre-left Turkish daily newspaper, founded on May 7, 1924 by journalist Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu. Based in Istanbul, it has been situated since October 17, 2005 in Mecidiyeköy. Cumhuriyet was the last newspaper to leave the old press district Cağaloğlu...
, and several different art and political magazines. He frequently wrote for the left-wing Turkish Left
Turkish Left
Turkish Left is a weekly nationalist leftist magazine as the official organ of the Turkish Left is a left-wing nationalist group in Turkey. It was formed following a split in the Workers Party...
. He heads the "Patriotic Movement".
He showed at Alphonse Berber Gallery, and Broadway Gallery.
Baykam is the founder of the film production and publishing company Piramid and Piramid Art Center, both based in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
He married journalist Sibel (Yağcı) Baykam in May 1997, and they had a son, Suphi, in January 1999.
Baykam has also published a two volume autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
. At the paperback description of his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, he claims that as a child he was seen as "the creator of the 21st century school of art". Baykam also claims that he was compared to artists like Kelee, Matisse, Dufy, Saul & Steinberg. He refers to his book as "The most detailed autobiography ever written on earth" & compares himself to Mozart.