Murat Kahya is a visual artist born in 1989 in Ankara, Turkey. After completing his engineering studies, he graduated first in his class from the Photography Department of Dokuz Eylül University. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in the Photography Department at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, where he is writing his thesis entitled The Use of Photography in Site-Specific Installations. Beginning his artistic journey with photography, Kahya has enriched his practice by incorporating video, sound, and found objects to create works that invite viewers to experience highly sensory and multidimensional spatial environments.
Kahya won the Young Photographer Award from the Turkish-American Association for his "New Americana" series, and his work has been exhibited on prominent platforms such as Base Istanbul. In 2019, he initiated his ongoing project, "Along The River," which focused on the Kızılırmak River. Over time, this project has expanded to focus on themes of water, nature, and human relationships. It has been shown in group exhibitions at venues such as Zilberman Gallery, Simbar Project, Kairos Gallery, and as a solo exhibition at Bilsart Project.
Kahya lives in Istanbul, where he continues to explore the boundaries of photography and its spatial and sensory potential in his practice.
info@muratkahya.com
IG @mratkahya
Exhibition
Photoville Festival, Hudson River Park, New York
Young, Fresh, Different, Zilberman Gallery, Istanbul
Fail Book, Poşe, Istanbul
Düşler Ülkesi: Troya, Darphane-i Amire Archaeology Museum, Istanbul
Düşler Ülkesi: Troya, Piri Reis Museum, Çanakkale
No Lab Made in Türkiye, Haskoy Yün Fabrikası, Istanbul
Transparency of Evil or Looking to the Other, Kare Art Gallery, Istanbul
Awards
Der Greif Magazine Guest Room, Munich, DE
The American Turkish Society, New York, US
Performance & Screenings
Der Greif Magazine, Munich, DE
School of Visual Arts, New York, USA
Les Rencontres De La Photographie, Arles, FR
Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, TR