The first exhibition featuring the works of Nevin Çokay took place in 1953 at the Maya Gallery in Istanbul. An artist whose career spanned six decades, she moved between the roles of professional painter, music performer, and educator, leaving behind a body of work held in various international and domestic public institutions.
Academic Training and Early Career
Born in Istanbul in 1930, Çokay spent her childhood residing in several different regions of Turkey. In 1947, she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts Istanbul, where she studied within the studio of Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu until 1953. During these formative years, she aligned herself with The Group Ten. Parallel to her visual arts education, she served as a member of the State Choir for Turkish folk music between 1950 and 1953, performing under the direction of Nedim Otyam. This period also included minor involvements in folklore arrangements and voice work, as well as an acting role in the film Yurda Dönüş.
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From 1954 onwards, Çokay dedicated her efforts exclusively to the practice of painting. Her work achieved visibility through exhibitions at the State Museum for Painting and Sculptures in Istanbul and was presented internationally at the Biennale in Paris. She secured professional recognition in 1961 when she was awarded the second prize at the Istanbul Art Festival. In 1979, she relocated to the Netherlands for one year, during which time her paintings were showcased in various museums and galleries across Deventer, Rotterdam, and The Hague.
Teaching and Later Years
Beyond her output as a painter, Çokay contributed to the arts through formal education. She spent 17 years working as an instructor of art and art history within the high school system, and she provided private painting lessons for a decade at various gallery studios. During the final period of her life, she maintained a private studio in the Foça district of the İzmir Province. She died in Foça on July 24, 2012, at the age of 82.
Institutional Presence
The works produced by Çokay remain part of several public and private collections. In Turkey, her pieces are held by the Istanbul State Art and Sculpture Museum, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the city administration of Istanbul, and the University of Istanbul. Internationally, her paintings reached collections in Germany, the Netherlands, and the Umjetnicka Galerij located in the former Yugoslavia.
Fast facts
- Born: 1930, Istanbul
- Died: 24 July 2012, Foça district
- Education: Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (1947-1953)
- Primary Occupation: Painter
- Secondary Occupations: Art teacher, voice artist, actor
- Music Involvement: Member of the State Choir for Turkish folk music (1950-1953)
Questions readers ask
Where can the paintings of Nevin Çokay be found?
Her works are held in collections including the Istanbul State Art and Sculpture Museum, the University of Istanbul, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and various institutions in Germany, the Netherlands, and the former Yugoslavia.
What subjects did Nevin Çokay teach?
She taught art and the history of art in high schools for 17 years and provided private painting instruction in gallery studios for 10 years.
