Merih Akoğul was born in Istanbul in 1963. He graduated from the Photography Department of the Mimar Sinan University Faculty of Fine Arts in 1985 and completed a Masters Degree at the Photography Department of the Marmara University Fine Arts Institute in 2001. It was during his time at Mimar Sinan University that he founded the “Group 9” league of photographers. He has held numerous slide shows and presented his work in photography exhibitions both locally and overseas, notably in Austria, Bulgaria, South Africa, the UK, France, Greece Japan, USA, Belgium, Kosovo and Germany.
He has written and lectured extensively on the art and theory of photography, spoken at seminars and conferences, presented academic papers, directed and participated in panel discussions and sat on selection committees. In the course of his career, Akoğul has also worked for the advertising sector as a publicity photographer and copywriter. He has taught at private colleges and institutes and served as the artistic consultant for arts and culture programmes on private radio and television. His photographs, writings and critiques on the theory of photography, plastic arts and music have been published widely in the daily press and periodicals.
In 2003, Akoğul received a grant from the Art Department of the Austrian Federal Chancellery and relocated for the summer of that year to continue his photographic work in Vienna. Works by Merih Akoğul have been acquired for museum and private collections in Turkey and in other countries. Photographer Akoğul, who is currently teaching classes at Bahçeşehir University and Eyüboğlu Schools.
Books
2007 “As if…” (photograph)
2006 “Afyonkarahisar in Black and White” (photograph)
2005 “Merih Akoğul-Turkish Photographers Library 22” (photograph)
“Flora” (photograph)
“Ghost-writing for My Twin” (essay)
“Secret Diaries” (children’s literature)
2004 “Last Summer in Vienna” (photograph)
2002 “To Succeed” (photograph)
2001 “Classics/Neo-Classics” (photograph)
1999 “Classics” (photograph)
1995 “Death of the Swan” (poetry)
1992 “The Last Touch” (poetry)
Solo Exhibitions
2011 “Kayıp Ruhlar” Artgalerim Nişantaşı, İstanbul
2010 “Palimpsest İstanbul”, Fototrek, İstanbul
2008 “Standards”, PG Art Gallery, Istanbul
2007 ‘As if…’, İstanbul Photography Centre Leica Gallery, İstanbul
2006 ‘In Wien im Letzten Sommer’, Palais Porcia Kunst Raum, Vienna
‘Afyonkarahisar in Black & White’, Fevzi Çakmak Children’s Home Art Gallery, Afyonkarahisar
“Austria 2006”, Austrian Cultural Office, İstanbul
2005 “Last Two”, Kadir Has University Art Gallery
Last Summer in Vienna “Remix”, Austrian Cultural Office, İstanbul
“Flora”, PG Art Gallery, İstanbul
“On the Road”, Austrian Cultural Office, İstanbul
2004 “30 Birds”, PG Art Gallery, İstanbul
“Last Summer in Vienna”, Fotoğrafevi Photographers’ Gallery, İstanbul
2003 “Literature: The Way There”, Tarık Zafer Tunaya Cultural Centre, İstanbul
“Between Two Worlds” (Project Coordinator), İstanbul Photography Centre, İstanbul
2002 “To Succeed”, Fotoğrafevi Photographers’ Gallery, İstanbul
2001 ‘Bronze Soldiers: This Expedition’, Austrian Cultural Office, İstanbul
“Classics/Neo-Classics”, Fotografevi Photographers’ Gallery, İstanbul
“Sphere of Love”, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu Art Gallery, İstanbul
1999 “Bronze Soldiers”, Fotoğrafevi Photographers’ Gallery, İstanbul
1998 “Transformations”, Art Shop, İzmir
“My Elephant”, ISE (Istanbul Stock Exchange) Art Gallery, İstanbul
Group Exhibitions
2009 “Bridge”, L’Orangerie du Sénat, Paris,
2008 “Turkish Reality”, (Cur: Celina Lunsford) Fotographie Forum, Frankfurt
2007 “Bridge”, İstanbul Modern, İstanbul
“Station İstanbul”, Karşı Art Gallery, İstanbul
“Border Line, State Gallery of Fine Arts, Çanakkale
“Meeting Point, Arcola Theatre Gallery, London
2006 “Under Construction”, Kanyon Levent, İstanbul
2005 “This is For You” / İstanbul Modern Art Gallery, İstanbul
“Art-Space II / Sıra Dışı Hayatlar”, Kargart, İstanbul
“Collection Exhibition 2005”, İstanbul Photography Center, İstanbul
2004 “Celebration of Turkish Photography in B&W”, St Martin’s Gallery London
“Aspects of Balkan Photography”, Thessaloniki, Greece
2003 “Global Love against Destruction”, Civic Centre, Johannesburg
“Portraits of Turkey through the Eyes of Seven Photographers”, NHK
Park Studio Gallery and Bunka College Gallery, Tokyo
“Merih Akoğul Workshop”, Echo Gallery, Vienna
“Art-Alan” Street Project, Kadıköy Kadife Sokak, İstanbul
“İstanbul” Washington, USA
2002 “Drilling”, Pamukbank Photography Gallery, İstanbul
Tuesday Group “İn the Villages of İznik”, Süleyman Paşa Medresseh, İznik
European Parliament “Open Door Festival”, Strasbourg
“Dangerous Things”, Karşı Art Gallery, İstanbul
“60 Years, 60 Artists”, Dr. Nejat Eczacıbaşı Foundation Virtual Museum
TÜYAP Fair, Convention & Congress Center, İstanbul
2001 Tuesday Group, “Portrait Exhibition: İsa Çelik”, Fotoğrafevi
Photographers’ Gallery, İstanbul
1998 Tuesday Group, “Portrait Exhibition: Gültekin Çizgen”, Press Museum, İstanbul
1996 PTFD 4th Exhibition, ISE (Istanbul Stock Exchange) Art Gallery, İstanbul
1992 PTFD 3rd Exhibition, Atatürk Cultural Centre, İstanbul
1991 PTFD (Association of Professional Publicity Photographers) 2nd Exhibition, Atatürk Cultural Centre, İstanbul
1985 “Grup 9”, Dost Art Gallery, Ankara
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