Fikret Muallâ

FIKRET MUALLA (Kadikoy, Istanbul, 1903-1967, Reillanne, France).
"Nu debout sur fond rouge", 1947.
Ink and watercolor on paper.
Signed in the lower left corner and dated on the right.
This painting will be included in Volume II of the Catalogue Raisonné of Fikret Mualla's work, currently in preparation, by Kerem Topuz and Marc Ottavi.
With certificate of authenticity by Marc Ottavi, co-author of the catalog raisonné.
Measurements: 34,5 x 25,5 cm.

This drawing by Fikret Muallâ, done in ink and watercolor, shows a naked man seen from behind, in a serene pose with his hands folded behind his back. Through the fluidity of the technique, the artist captures the contours of the human body with a double line The double line that conveys in a veiled but graphic way a vulnerable psychic state. The simplicity of the nude and the absence of clear narrative elements invite the viewer to reflect on the introspective character of the figure. Watercolor, with its transparency and subtlety, brings an ethereal and emotional quality to this work, reflecting Muallâ's ability to explore both the expressive and the human in his art. Muallà combined vibrant, urban scenes with introspective, intimate works such as the one shown here. It is precisely in his most intimate vein where his most authentic self flows, being a tormented person who had to be treated in psychiatrists and hospitals throughout his life.

Fikret Muallâ Sayg? was a 20th century avant-garde painter of Turkish descent. His work reflects influences of expressionism and fauvism, with themes centered on Parisian street life, social gatherings such as cafés and circuses. He was born in Kadiköy, Istanbul, but lived and worked as an artist in Paris from 1939. His mother was very fond of him. This relationship played an important role in his later life. At the age of 12, he was crippled in his right foot when he kicked hard to imitate his uncle Hikmet Topuzer, a Fenerbahçe SK footballer. Soon after, he lost his mother to a flu epidemic. After high school, his father sent him to Zurich (Switzerland) to study engineering. Fikret Mualla soon left Switzerland to settle in Berlin (Germany). A childhood accident, which left Mualla in poor physical condition, contributed to his erratic personality and mental disorders in adulthood. He was hospitalized several times, for alcohol dependence and extreme paranoia. In 1928 he was hospitalized in Berlin. Then he went to Paris, the capital of the arts and the center of unlimited freedom for him. However, he was forced to return home when he received no more money from his father. In Istanbul, after a three-day stay in the Bak?rköy psychiatric hospital, his mental health was considered normal. Fikret Mualla was appointed as a drawing teacher at a high school in Ayval?k. However, he left this post and moved to Beyo?lu, a suburb of Istanbul. For a time, he devoted himself to writing and drawing. He became friends with the soprano Semiha Berksoy, the writer Naz?m Hikmet and the painter Abidin Dino. His first exhibition, in 1934, with drawings, watercolors and designs, did not obtain great repercussion. In 1936, he was hospitalized again for about a year. After being discharged, he decided to leave Turkey, where he felt he was not understood. Before leaving for Paris in 1939, he painted some thirty oil paintings for the Turkish pavilion at the New York World's Fair, commissioned by his close friend Abidin Dino. His life in Paris passed between alcohol dependence, mental alienation and cognitive dissonance. He fell in love with the Turkish painter Hale Asaf without being reciprocated. He is hospitalized again for two months, but during this time he does not stop painting. The French model Dina Vierny saved him from deportation. In 1954, Sayg? opened his first exhibition in Paris. He became friends with many renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso. He later sold a signed photo of Picasso for a bottle of wine. After his second exhibition, he was hospitalized again. During this time, a collector, Madame Angles, took him under her patronage. This allowed him to make a living by painting and selling his works. However, battered, Fikret Mualla became paralyzed in 1962. He moved to Reillanne, a village in southeastern France, when his cirrhosis worsened. In May 1967, he was admitted to a clinic after his nervous disorders worsened. On the morning of July 20, he was found dead in his bed. In accordance with his wishes, his remains were taken to Turkey and buried in the Karacaahmet Cemetery in Istanbul. Muallà is considered one of the representatives of the Turkish arts of the 20th century, along with Abidin Dino.