BIO:
Bulent Gultek was born in Ankara 1977. He graduated from Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Education - Painting Main Branch of Art in Izmir 1999.
After graduation, he gained experience in different branches of plastic arts. He worked in areas such as sculpture, stone carving and relief, ancient mosaic, mural, miniature art and painting.
He opened his first solo exhibition called "im" in 2003 - Iletisim Art Gallery, Izmir. This exhibition featured acrylic and mixed media works on paper and canvas.
He started working as an illustrator in a publishing house in 2004. Here he started producing digital illustrations for children's books and magazines. From 2005 onwards, he focused on digital illustration and brought his personal work into this field.
He settled in Istanbul in 2011 and started to take part in advertising projects of local and foreign brands as an illustrator. He also produced magazine and album cover illustrations, game themes and graphics.
During this period, he continued to produce his own toy designs from different materials in his own studio.
He was among the founding members of Atölye (Istanbul) in 2014. He joined the Krüw artist collective in 2016.
In 2018, the advertising project in which he took part as an illustrator was deemed worthy of the Prof. Dr. Nazan Erkmen Illustration Special Award at the Crystal Apple Advertising Awards.
He opened his second solo exhibition titled “Planetarium” in 2020 - Sarkuteri Gallery, Istanbul. In this concept exhibition, screen printings, acrylic on canvas, charcoal drawings, resin toy designs, and a giant inflatable balloon character "Nebula" were exhibited.
In 2023, together with MRE, they founded "Toyart.ist" as a movement to organize exhibitions supporting Toy Art in Turkey. He continues working on multidisciplinary projects in his studio in Istanbul.
CLIENTS:
Coca-Cola / Unilever / McDonald's / Vodafone / Mercedes-Benz / Turkish Airlines / Converse / Haribo /
Beko / Garanti Bankasi / Isbank / Akbank / Ulker / Teknosa / Yatas / Koctas / Pinar / Cinecity Cinemas /
Toyota / Vodafone / Bion / Finish / Doritos - Pepsi Co. / Efes Pilsen +1 Project / Bomonti - Kendine Has /
Arzum / Gilan / Neol / General Electric / Tac
MAGAZINES:
Editorial: Effe / Bant Bag / Pluton Magazine / Pan Magazine / Tuhaf Magazine
Portfolio: Bak Magazine / Digital Arts / Trendsetter Istanbul /
AWARDS:
25th Crystal Apple Festival of Creativity:
McDonald's / Heads Project
Agency: Leo Burnett
-Grand Prix Crystal Award / Press / McDonald's
-Gold Cyrstal Apple / Press / Retail Category - McDonald's
-Gold Cyrstal Apple / Press / Promotion Category - McDonald's. / 2013
30th Crystal Apple Festival of Creativity:
Bion / "Insect Heaven" and "Fly Heaven" Projects
Agency: Y&R Istanbul
-Cyrstal Apple / Perfection in Design - Prof. Dr. Nazan Erkmen Illustration Special Award. / 2018
EXHIBITIONS:
1995 "Graphic Design" Group Exhibition - Isbank Art Gallery - Izmir
1998 "Turgut Pura Foundation - Painting Group Exhibition" - Museum of Painting and Sculpture - Izmir
1999 "Umur Turker Studio's Group Exhibition" - Turkish American Foundation Art Gallery - Izmir
2003 "Im" Solo Painting Exhibition" - iletisim Art Gallery - Izmir
2010 "Six Possibility - Group Exhibition" - Artist 2010 / 20. International Istanbul Art Fair - Tuyap - Istanbul
2010 "Third Croatian Biennial of Illustration" - Kolvicevi Dvori Gallery - Zagreb - Croatia
2015 "Sozler: Baris Manco" Group Exhibition - Galatasaray Museum - Istanbul
2015 "Istanbul Coffee Festival" with Milk Gallery Group Exhibition - Haydarpasa Train Station - Istanbul
2016 "Super Fantastik" Group Exhibition - Tight Aggressive - Istanbul
2016 "Villainz by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Kolektif House - Istanbul
2016 "Canavarz by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Kargart - Istanbul
2016 "Kruw 35 Plaka" Group Exhibition - Originn - Izmir
2016 "The Seattle Istanbul Poster Show" Group Exhibition - Marmara University Republic Museum - Istanbul
2017 "VS by Kruw" Group Exhibition - BantMag Bina - Istanbul
2017 "Ikonz by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Mamut Art Project - Macka Kucukciftlik Park - Istanbul
2017 "Flagz by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Kolektif House - Istanbul
2018 "The Seattle Istanbul Poster Show" Group Exhibition - Visual Art Center at Boise State University - USA
2018 "Illustrators" Group Exhibition - Dada Salon Art Gallery - Istanbul
2018 "Mythz by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Mamut Art Project - Macka Kucukciftlik Park - Istanbul
2018 "Gamez by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Wunder / Kadıköy - Istanbul
2019 "Masalz by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Mamut Atr Project - Macka Kucukciftlik Park - Istanbul
2019 "Dream Gigs Illustrated" Group Exhibition - ICAF - Istanbul
2019 "Songs That Made Me" Group Exhibition - FAZ.1 - Zuhal Muzik - Akasya AVM - Istanbul
2019 "Fears by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Big Baboli Sarkuteri - Istanbul
2020 "Planetaryum" Solo Exhibition - Big Baboli Sarkuteri - Istanbul
2021 "Dreamscapes" Group Exhibition / Hood Base - Mamut Art Project - Bomontiada - Istanbul
2022 "Arzum 55th Anniversary Group Exhibition - Galataport - Istanbul
2022 "Titana Saldiri (Attack On Titan Manga/Anime Theme) " Group Exhibition - Gerekli Seyler - Ankara
2022 "Mutantz by Kruw" Group Exhibition - Mamut Atr Project - Bomontiada - Istanbul
2023 "Mixer Printed 23" Group Exhibition - Mixer Art Gallery - Istanbul
2023 "Toyistila" Toyart.ist - Toy Art Group Exhibition - Hood Base - Istanbul
2023 "Create Next: Hack The Past" Group Exhibition - Muze Gazhane - Istanbul
2024 "Zurafa" Toyart.ist - Toy Art Group Exhibition - Istanbul Toy Museum - Istanbul
2024 "Toykontakt" Toyart.ist - Toy Art Group Exhibition - Mamut Art Project - Istanbul