Umit Turgay Durgun is a sculptor and graffiti artist from Istanbul, Turkey, currently living and working in Stazzema, Italy. His multidisciplinary practice bridges the raw energy of urban street art with the monumental traditions of classical sculpture, forming a distinctive language rooted in myth, history, and transformation.
Durgun began his formal education in the arts at Maçka Akif Tuncel Anatolian High School for Plastic Arts, followed by a degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Sculpture Department at Marmara University in Istanbul. He later moved to Carrara to pursue a master's degree, drawn by the city’s rich sculptural heritage and the availability of classical materials like marble, which continue to play an important role in his work.
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His creative journey began in the streets of Istanbul, where he was first drawn to graffiti as a form of public expression. This early engagement with art in urban environments sparked a lifelong commitment to creating works that are both accessible and immersive, often meant to be experienced in public spaces.
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From a young age, Durgun was deeply fascinated by ancient civilizations, their mythologies, architectural feats, and symbolic creatures. He was intrigued by the way these societies externalized human characteristics through sacred figures and monumental constructions. To him, mythology represented not external truths, but inner psychological landscapes made visible. This perspective continues to inform his work, where he reimagines mythic forms through a contemporary lens.
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His sculptures often reflect the architectural sensibilities of the ancient world while integrating modern conceptual frameworks. He draws not only from mythological iconography but also from primitive construction techniques, viewing them as solutions born of necessity and ingenuity. This blend of past and present enables him to create monumental works that evoke timeless themes of creation, transformation, and human evolution.
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As a teenager, Durgun developed a deep curiosity about the origins of life and the evolution of humanity, from the Big Bang to the emergence of early civilizations. His interest lies not only in the physical evolution of human beings but in the intellectual and cultural leaps that led to the birth of civilization itself. For him, the story of human progress is one of creative resilience, the relentless drive to survive, build, and leave a mark on the world.
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Durgun is materially versatile and refuses to be confined to a single medium. He approaches each project by selecting materials that best serve its conceptual needs. His repertoire includes wood, steel, aluminum, marble, granite, quartzite, basalt, bronze, ceramic, and metal sheets. He also explores kinetic and mechanical sculpture, designing and programming his own works. From initial construction to final detailing, every piece is crafted entirely by hand in his studio.
Umit Turgay Durgun’s art is a synthesis of the ancient and the contemporary, the intuitive and the technical. Through his work, he invites viewers to confront the deep-time narratives of civilization and participate in the enduring human impulse to build, imagine, and transcend.