Mübin Orhon

Galeri Nev continues the season with Mübin Orhon. The gallery, which had compiled its previous show in 2007 from among the gouaches of the artist covering the years 1973 and 1979, is now focusing on works created between 1952 and 1972. Thus, the unity of these two exhibitions represents almost a revival of Mübin’s entire artistic life. Mübin Orhon, studied political sciences in Istanbul. Following his graduation in 1947, he traveled to France for his master’s in economy. During his first years in Paris, he attended drawing classes at the Grande Chaumière Academy. Between 1950 and 1953, he took part in the exhibitions of Salon de Réalités Nouvelles, and in 1956-57 he participated to the Salon de Mai. He opened his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Iris Clert, one of the mostavant-garde galleries of the French capital. During that period he established close ties with César, Takis, Messagier and Giacometti; his friendship with Charles Maussion that began in the same period, lasted a life time. In 1964, he returned to Turkey to do his military service and continued with his shows in Istanbul for a while. In 1973 he went back to France, and died in Paris in 1981. As of 1992, Mübin Orhon is represented in Turkey by Gallery Nev and his entire archive, donated by the artist’s daughter is kept under the protection of Galeri Nev in Ankara. In the beginning of the 1960’s, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury showed great interest in Mübin’s works. As a result of this interest that steadily increased until the demise of the artist, sixty three of his works were collected by the Sainsbury couple, in addition to other works in their collection by Degas, Bonnard, Modigliani, Picasso, Balthus, Giacometti and Bacon. Thus Mübin, along with his close friend Maussion, became one of the two most greatly represented artists of the post-war “Ecole de Paris” era in this collection. In 1996, Mübin’s works in the Sainsbury Collection were exhibited in Turkey for the first time, at the Yapı Kredi Kazım Taşkent Gallery, under the curatorship of Ali Artun. The 2011 show at the Galeri Nev is also an occasion for the publication of an extended second edition of the out of print Yapı Kredi catalogue: “Mübin Orhon: Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection”.