Background
Adnan Çoker was born on October 20, 1927 in his grandfather's mansion in İstanbul, Turkey.
Adnan Çoker was born on October 20, 1927 in his grandfather's mansion in İstanbul, Turkey.
Adnan Coker attended Samatya Haci Kadin Primary School from 1934 - 1939. From 1939 - 1942, he continued his secondary school in Davutpaşa High School. In 1942, he attended to Afyon High school for a year. His art teacher Enver Kinavli was interested in his works and he recommended him to continue his studies in Fine Arts Academy after high school. He graduated from the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts (now, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University) in 1951.
After graduation from university, Adnan Çoker served in the army as a Reserve Officer. Then, he worked as a designer and a cartographer in Ankara and Istanbul from 1953 - 1955.
On December 29, 1955 he went to Paris with a scholarship from the Turkish government. He established the "Blue Group" with his four friends in 1963. With a state grant from France, he worked at the studio of famous painters such as Andre Lhote, Henri Goetz and Hayter in Paris.
He attended Emilio Vedova′s Studio in the International Salzburg Summer Academy. Çoker was an instructor at the İstasyon Academy of Fine Arts from 1960 - 1995. He performed "Demonstrations of Painting with music" between 1961 and 1966. He has had many solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions and biennials in Turkey and abroad.
On October 1, 1964 he received a French scholarship and went to Paris for the second time. He worked on engraving in the W. Hayfer workshop and Goetz workshop and began to "Black Backgrounded Paintings". On March 31, 1965 he completed his research studies in Paris and returned to Turkey. In August of that year, he won an Australian scholarship and went to Salzburg summer Academy where he worked on abstract studies in Emilio Vedova studio. Those works were exhibited a year later in İstanbul together with his collages.
On March 23, 1983 he was appointed as Department Chair in Mimar Sinan University Fine Arts Faculty and resigned on August 31, 1985. In August 1984, he was one of the judges in an exhibition with Enka Science and Art Award.
Adnan Çoker lives and works in Istanbul.
Adnan Çoker has received over ten prizes. His awards include: First prize in "Korea" themed competition held by İstanbul Fine Arts Academy (1951), İstanbul Art Festival Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, first prize in painting (1961), State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Painting first prize. (1962), DYO Painting Exhibition, Achievement Award (1973), İskenderiye Biennial Painting runner up prize (1976), Türkiye İş Bankası 1981 Awards, Painting Award (1981), Home Decoration Magazine 1982 Great Honor Award (1982), the Friendship and Peace Art Award of the Third International Asia-European Arts Biennial (1990). In 1994, he rejected Sedat Simavi Foundation Visual Arts Awards.
