Milli Re 2025 Annual Report

“I’ve always been here”, watercolor on paper, 50x40 cm, 2022 İSMET DEĞİRMENCİ İsmet Değirmenci was born in 1964 in Gündoğdu Village on Marmara Island. He studied in the Sculpture Department of Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts between 1986 and 1991. His first short stories and poems were published in Yazın magazine in 1990. In addition to his feature-length and short films, his published books include İki Ada (Two Islands, 2001), a poetry-illustration collaboration with Cypriot poet Mehmet Kansu; the poetry collection Gemi Ne Zaman Gelecek (When Will the Ship Arrive, 2010); and Son Sefer (The Last Voyage, 2021). He wrote articles for the monthly newspapers “Gaste” and later “S” between 2006 and 2008. He has been working as a part-time lecturer at Yeditepe University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Plastic Arts Department since 2001. He conducts artist interviews for the international art and culture magazine Ars Axis published in Cyprus. He worked at Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design in Cyprus from 2017 to 2018. Having held numerous solo and group exhibitions in the field of plastic arts, the artist continues his work in Istanbul and Marmara Island. 2 MİLLİ RE 2025 Annual Report