DEBURKY - R.BURAK TEKELİOĞLU
Burak Tekelioglu Born in Mugla in 1970, Tekelioglu began his academic journey at Bilkent University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Interior Architecture, later completing his degree at Yeditepe University in the same field.
Over the years, he contributed to numerous architectural projects and continued his career in interior design through significant works.
Alongside architecture, Tekelioglu cultivated a professional interest in photography with the selected collectives, focusing on “Street Portraits” that were published both nationally and internationally for nearly three years. His passion for painting and sculpture, which emerged during his university years, eventually crystallized into a unique artistic language where contemporary forms meet characters of his own creation.
Rooted in the light and landscapes of the Aegean coast where he grew up, Tekelioglu’s work carries the echoes of sea, sky and nature, weaving them into his exploration of human emotion and subconscious states.
In 2018, he founded the Deburky Art Studio on Urla Art Street, which continues to serve as both his atelier and a gallery space.
Since 2022, Tekelioglu has presented his work at Karl and Ein Dream Art Gallery (Istanbul), in Metaverse collaborations with Mads Art Gallery, and on major international stages including the Contemporary Art Fair at the Carrousel du Louvre (Paris), the European Museum of Modern Art (Barcelona), and Times Square (New York). In 2023, he fulfilled a long-cherished dream by presenting the Father & Daughter – Deburky & Deburky exhibition in Milan with his 13-year-old daughter, while also showcasing a collaborative Metaverse project.
In 2024, his work was exhibited at Red Dot Miami (December 2024) and during the Cannes Biennale, held concurrently with the Cannes Film Festival. That same year, he was awarded the Prize Phoenix at the Venice Biennale, presented at Scuola Grande di San Teodoro, Venice. He also received the International Prize Botticelli Artistic Difference and the Universal Artist Award at the Borghese Palace in Florence, conferred by the Effetto Arte Foundation.
His works were exhibited at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci, where he was also honored with the Contemporary Artist Merit Award in Leonardo’s name. His practice was further recognized at the award ceremony organized by Fondazione Effetto Arte at Palazzo Emilio Pucci in Florence, where his project Deburky was selected by the Italian jury for the prestigious Artist of the Year 2025 award. His works have also been published in the Contemporary Masters Art Book – Florence and Contemporary Masters Art Book – Milan.
Grounded in themes of the subconscious, human emotions, interpersonal relationships, urban life, solitude, and identity, By returning to his roots on the Aegean coast, Tekelioglu reconnected with the sea and its horizons, allowing nature’s poetry to flow into the textures and emotions of his art.
Currently, Burak Tekelioglu continues his artistic practice at Deburky Art Studio in Urla, where he develops and exhibits his work in a space that functions both as a creative workshop and a gallery for art enthusiasts.