Born in Elazig, southeast Turkey, in 1953, Erdal Yazici completed
a foundation course in education at Anadolu University. He began
his professional career as a photographer in 1983 and had his first
photo-reportages published in the national daily, Günaydin newspaper.
In the following years, he expanded his portfolio to include publications
such as Cumhuriyet newspaper, Atlas, Gezi/National Geographic Traveler,
Voyager and Skylife magazines.
To date, he has held nine solo exhibitions. His work has also featured
in many slide shows and group exhibitions in Turkey and overseas.
He has undertaken several documentary style projects, which have
subsequently been published as albums. The first of these, entitled
BIR YAPRAK DÖKÜMÜ ÖYKÜSÜ (A Tale of Falling Leaves), focuses on
crafts slowly dying out with the changing production environment.
Next came the album, YARINIMIZ UMUDUMUZ ÇOCUKLAR (Children: Our
Hope for the Future), a photographic essay treating the theme of
children, a tangible symbol of our future. Here, however, the accent
is on children who grow up in adverse circumstances and the subjects
are depicted living life on the street, at school and at work. While
his first two albums feature exclusively black and white work, Yazici’s
third album, SON YÜZLER (Fading Faces), switches to colour and takes
up the theme of vanishing crafts once again. His fourth and most
recent album, on the other hand, considers the colourful world of
children all over Turkey under the title ÇOCUK DÜNYAM (A Child’s
World).
Notable among his other documentary projects was an extended study
of the silkworm business in Bursa, which he worked on from 1992-2000.
In between, in 1999, he also photographed the devastation of the
earthquakes that year in Gölcük, Adapazari, Düzce and Kaynasli,
districts of northwest Anatolia. He has realised several photographic
projects on themes ranging from Turkey’s wildlife to its archaeological
and historical heritage and had this work published in book form.
He has also compiled photographic narratives on the demise of local
agriculture and wildlife, particularly through pollution.
Erdal Yazici is a member of IFSAK (Istanbul Amateur Photography
& Filmmaking Association) and currently works as a freelance
photographer.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1989 YASAMDAN YANSIMALAR (Reflections
of Life)
In this his debut exhibition, Yazici portrays life in Istanbul
and Anatolia, incorporating a rich diversity of subjects from
working people to children playing on the street, street vendors
to fishermen.
EL EMEGI, ALIN TERI, GÖZ NURU (Blood,
Sweat and Tears)
Taking up the theme of Turkey’s vanishing crafts, Yazici focuses
on artisans who learned their trade as apprentices, employing
tools and methods passed down over the generations. His subjects
include coppersmiths, blacksmiths, potters, felt makers, horn
comb makers, woodcarvers, saddlers and the photographers of yesteryear,
working with mounted wooden cameras..
1992 BIR YAPRAK DÖKÜMÜ ÖYKÜSÜ (A Tale
of Falling Leaves)
This second exhibition of dying crafts opened with the launch
of Yazici’s first album, ‘Bir Yaprak Dökümü Öyküsü/Kaybolan Zanaatlar’
(‘Vanishing Crafts: A Tale of Falling Leaves’).
1995 IPEKBÖCEGI VE INSAN (Man and the
Silkworm)
A study in photographs of silk and the silkworm trade in Bursa,
northwest Turkey, which is increasingly under threat as chaotic
urban sprawl invades valuable agricultural land.
1996 YARINIMIZ, UMUDUMUZ, ÇOCUKLAR (Children:
Our Hope for the Future)
Coinciding with the launch of Yazici’s third album bearing the
same title, the exhibition tells the story of children living
in adverse circumstances, deprived of a basic education and forced
to work at an early age.
1999 BIR ÇARSI GÜNLÜGÜ: URFA (Urfa: A
Journal of Bazaars)
This exhibition takes as its theme the exotic bazaars of Urfa,
a city close to the Syrian border in southeast Turkey. As well
as depicting everyday life in the bazaar, Yazici’s photographs
feature tradesmen perpetuating ancient crafts and dazzling portraits
of local people in traditional dress.
2000 KOYU SIYAH (Dark Black)
A collection of photographs documenting the devastation incurred
during Turkey’s earthquakes of 17 August and 12 November 1999
in Gölcük, Adapazari, Düzce and Kaynasli.
2002 UZAK KENT ISTANBUL (Istanbul: A
Faraway City)
The story of Anatolian migrants who, despite having lived in Istanbul
for years, remain aloof from the city and unable to integrate
into metropolitan life..
2005 ÇOCUK DÜNYAM (A Child’s World)
An exhibition of photographs detailing the colourful world of
children from Istanbul and Anatolia..
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2004 CELEBRATION OF TURKISH PHOTOGRAPHY
IN B&W
St Martin’s Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London [February 2004]
ÜÇ NESIL TÜRKIYE (Three Generations
of Turkey)
Mir Ali Gallery, Tebriz, Iran [June 2004]
1996 MAY …”EROSION AND ENVIRONMENT”…Slide Show…(Place:Cobancesme
Primary School Yenibosna/Istanbul)
1997 Marc...”REFLECTION OF LIFE”…Slide Show…(Place:Arnika,
Istiklal Caddesi, ISTANBUL)
18.10.1997…”URFA IS A SHOPPING DIARY” 2.Istanbul Saydam Günleri...Slide
Show…(Place:Fotografevi/Fuji Film,Istiklal Caddesi,Beyoglu/IST)
05.05.1998... “THE SNOWDROP : A FLOWER OF HOPE AND DESIRE”...Slide
Show…(Place:Dumlugoze Village/Karaman; Snowdrop Festival /WILD
LIFE CONSERVATION ASSCIATION Project)
1999 JULY...”THE SNOWDROP : FLOWER OF LOVE,WILD LIFE CONSERVATION”…Slide
Show… (Place: ASSOCIATION CENTER/Istanbul)
1992 BIR YAPRAK DÖKÜMÜ ÖYKÜSÜ/KAYBOLAN ZANAATLAR (Vanishing
Crafts: A Tale of Falling Leaves)
[Ataol Yayinlari, Istanbul | 1992]
1994 SON YÜZLER/KAYBOLAN EL SANATLARI (Vanishing Handicrafts:
Fading Faces)
[Toprakbank Yayinlari, Istanbul | 1994]
1996 YARINIMIZ UMUDUMUZ ÇOCUKLAR (Children: Our Hope for the
Future)
[Erdal Yazici, Istanbul | 1996]
2005 ÇOCUK DÜNYAM (A Child's World)
[Published by Fotografevi, Istanbul | 2005]
2005 TÜRK FOTOGRAFÇILARI KÜTÜPHANESİ/ ERDAL YAZICI (The Library
of Turkish Photographers/Erdal Yazıcı)
[Published by Antartist, Istanbul | 2005]
OTHER BOOKS
1986 Ana Britannica (Encyclopaedia Britannica, Turkey) [1st
& 2nd Editions, Ana Yayincilik, Istanbul | 1986-2000]
Temel Britannica (Children’s Britannica, Turkey) [Ana Yayincilik,
Istanbul | 1986-2000]
1992 ISTANBUL (Istanbul) [Orient Yayinlari, Istanbul | 1992]
1993 ISTANBUL ANSIKLOPEDISI (Encyclopaedia of Istanbul) [joint
publication of the Turkish History Foundation & Ministry of
Culture, Istanbul | 1993-1995]
1994 ISTANBUL [photographic guide, Teruo Nakanishi, Parco Co.
Japan | 1994]
1994-2001 Turkish Ministry of Tourism publications, Ankara
1995 LIVING IMAGES OF TURKEY [UN Habitat II Human Settlements
Conference publication, Istanbul | 1995]
1996 TURKEY [REVAS Rehber Basin Yayin A.S., Istanbul | 1997]
1997 EPHESUS [REVAS Rehber Basin Yayin A.S., Istanbul | 1997]
KESIF VE MACERANIN BES YILI (Five Years of Discovery &
Adventure) [The Best of Atlas Magazine, Hürgüç Gazetecilik, Istanbul
| 1997]
1998 CAPPADOCIA [REVAS Rehber Basin Yayin A.S., Istanbul |
1998]
GUIDE TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES [A Turizm Yayinlari, Istanbul |
1998]
EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE: ISTANBUL [Dorling Kindersley, London
| 1998]
IPEK YOLU [Uzakdogu Kültür Dernegi Yayinlari
|1995-1996]
1997 GEZI/ NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER [Bir
Numara Yayincilik/Sabah | 1997]
1999 FOTOGRAF Magazine [Portfolio/Cover, Ant
Yayincilik | 04/05 1999]
1999 MARIE CLAIRE (Turkey) [Show Basin | 1999]
ORANGE [Total Ajans/Boyner Yayinlari | 1999-2000]
VOYAGER [Show Basin | 1999-2000]
2000 CHAT [Ajans Medya/Boyner Yayinlari | 2000]
2002 ULUSOY TRAVEL [Era Yayincilik, Istanbul
| 2002]
2004 VARAN YOL BOYUNCA [Kesisim Yayinlari, Istanbul
| 2004]
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