Fatma Bucak (born 1984) is an artist and photographer who lives and works in London and Istanbul.

Biography

She was born in Turkey, to a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...

family. She works in a variety of media, including

photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...

performance A performance is an act or process of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Performance has evolved glo ...

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

multimedia Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms, such as Text (literary theory), writing, Sound, audio, images, animations, or video, into a single presentation. T ...

, and

video installation Video installation is a contemporary art form that combines video technology with installation art, making use of all aspects of the surrounding environment to affect the audience. Tracing its origins to the birth of video art in the 1970s, it has ...

, and focuses on themes of political identity, historical memory, and gender. In 2019, she was named one of the

Royal Photographic Society The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is the world's oldest photographic society having been in continuous existence since 1853. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as th ...

's ‘Hundred Heroines’, recognizing the achievements of women in photography. Bucak has exhibited at

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...

, the

Jewish Museum A Jewish museum is a museum which focuses upon Jews and may refer seek to explore and share the Jewish experience in a given area. Notable Jewish museums include: Albania * Solomon Museum, Berat Australia * Jewish Museum of Australia, Melbourn ...

New York, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto. Her work is held in the permanent collections of Fondazione

Mario Merz Mario Merz (1 January 1925 – 9 November 2003) was an Italian artist, and husband of Marisa Merz. Life Born in Milan, Merz started drawing during World War II, when he was imprisoned for his activities with the ''Giustizia e Libertà'' ant ...

Arter Arter is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Harry Arter * Jared Maurice Arter * Kingsley Arter Taft * Philip and Uriah Arter, after whom Philip and Uriah Arter Farm is named * Robert Arter * Solomon Arter, after whom Solomon Art ...

MAMbo Mambo most often refers to: *Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form *Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music Mambo may also refer to: Music * Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...

, the Civic Gallery of

Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...

, and the

Unicredit UniCredit S.p.A. (formerly UniCredito Italiano S.p.A.) is an Italian multinational banking group headquartered in Milan. It is a systemically important bank (according to the list provided by the Financial Stability Board in 2022) and the world' ...

Art Collection. In 2024, she was a fellow at the

American Academy in Rome The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome, Italy. The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. History 19th century In 1893, a group of American architect ...

. Bucak has also been artist-in-resident at the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, and at ISCP in Brooklyn, New York. Bucak directed the 2011 documentary film Almost Married, which premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam.

Solo exhibitions

* ''While the Dust Quickly Falls'' a
Kunsthaus Dresden
Germany (2022). * ''In Prestissimo'' a
Peola Simondi Contemporary Art
Turin, Italy (2022) * ''Acts of Erasure'' at

Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA), formerly known as the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA), is a museum and art gallery in Toronto, Ontario. It is an independent, registered charitable organization. ...

, Canada (2020) * ''A Colossus on Clay Feet'' at the Italian Cultural Institute, New York (2019) * ''So as to Find the Strength to See'' at Fondazione

, Turin, Italy (2018) * ''So as to Find the Strength to See'' at

Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palermo The Modern Art Gallery of Palermo (Italian language, Italian: Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palermo) is a civic art gallery of Palermo, displaying works from the 19th until the early 20th century, located on Via Sant'Anna #21, adjacent to the church o ...

, Italy (2018) * ''Damascus Rose'' a
Harpe 45
Lausanne, Switzerland (2017) * ''Scouring the Press'' a
Pi Artworks
London, United Kingdom (2017) * ''And Men Turned Their Faces Form There'' a
David Winton Bell Gallery
Providence, United States (2016) * ''Suggested Place for You to See it'' at Pori Art Museum, Finland (2016) * ''Over a Line Darkly'' at

Artpace Artpace (also known as Artpace San Antonio) is a non-profit contemporary art foundation located in downtown San Antonio, Texas that is free and open to the public. Founded by artist, collector, and philanthropist Linda Pace, Artpace opened its d ...

, San Antonio, United States (2015) * ''I must say a word about fear'' at

Castello di Rivoli The Rivoli Castle is a former Residence of the Royal House of Savoy in Rivoli (Metropolitan City of Turin, Italy). It is currently home to the Castello di Rivoli – Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, the museum of contemporary art of Turin. In 1997, ...

, Turin, Italy (2014) * ''Yet Another Story about the Fall'' at Arter Contemporary Art Museum, Istanbul, Turkey (2013)

Group Exhibitions and Biennials

* MAMAC, Nice 2022 *

Art Basel Art Basel is a for-profit, privately owned and managed, international art fair staged annually in Basel (Switzerland), Miami Beach (US), Hong Kong and Paris. Art Basel provides a platform for galleries to show and sell their work to buyers, an ...

- Hong Kong, 2020 * Gothenburg International Biennial for Contemporary Art, 2017 * The Jewish Museum, New York, 2015 * The Ryder Projects, London, 2015 * The

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an modernism, artistic and cultural centre on The Mall (London), The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps a ...

, London, 2013 *

54th Venice Biennale The 54th Venice Biennale was an international contemporary art exhibition held in 2011. The Venice Biennale takes place biennially in Venice, Italy. Artistic director Bice Curiger curated its central exhibition, "ILLUMInations". Awards * G ...

, 2011 * The International Festival of Non-Fiction Film,

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

, New York, 2011

Awards

Bucak won the illy Present Future Award at Artissima 2013, and the Tosseti Value Prize for Photography in 2021. In 2024, she was awarded the

Novo Nordisk Foundation The Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) is an international enterprise foundation focusing on medical treatment and research. In 2023, the foundation had a net worth of DKK 1,114 billion (167 billion), making it the wealthiest charitable foundation ...

Artistic Research Grant.

Books

* So as to Find the Strength to See (published by Hopeful Monster, Turin, April 2018) * I Must Say a Word about Fear (published by Castello di Rivoli, 2017)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bucak, Fatma People from İskenderun Kurdish artists Kurdish women artists Turkish photographers Turkish contemporary artists 21st-century Turkish women artists 1984 births Living people