Istanbul Medipol University is launching a new international competition series in the traditional arts under the title “Sustaining Süheyl Ünver’s Legacy through Art.” The first edition of the series is devoted to miniature painting, an art form that held a special place in A. Süheyl Ünver’s work and teaching.

A physician, historian of medicine, art historian, painter, archivist, teacher, and a man of culture A. Süheyl Ünver was one of the most distinguished names in twentieth-century Turkish cultural and artistic life. Through his notebooks, artworks, writings, and students, he left behind a lasting legacy. Trained at the Medresetü’l-Hattâtîn, Ünver produced works in several traditional arts, including miniature painting, illumination, calligraphy, and marbling. He regarded these arts not simply as a heritage to be preserved, but as a living tradition that could be carried into the future through care, discipline, and new interpretations.

Organized by Istanbul Medipol University, this competition aims to honor Süheyl Ünver’s artistic vision, his legacy as a teacher, and his concern for cultural memory through original miniature works by contemporary artists.

Awards

The following awards will be presented to the winning artists:

First Prize: 75,000 TRY
Second Prize: 60,000 TRY
Third Prize: 45,000 TRY
Honorable Mention: 25,000 TRY

The prize-winning works and the works selected for exhibition by the jury will be presented to the public in an exhibition at Istanbul Medipol University South Campus. They will also be featured in an international exhibition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Competition Calendar

Final Submission Date: 12 November 2026
Announcement of Winners: 18 November 2026
Award Ceremony: 10 December 2026
Exhibition Dates: 10–24 December 2026
Exhibition Venue: Istanbul Medipol University, South Campus

Aim of the Competition

This competition is organized by Istanbul Medipol University to sustain the rich legacy that Ord. Prof. Dr. A. Süheyl Ünver left to the worlds of art, culture, and scholarship.

A physician, historian of medicine, painter, archivist, teacher, and a man of culture, A. Süheyl Ünver was one of the most distinguished names in twentieth-century Turkish cultural life. Through his notebooks, works, studies on manuscripts, and the students he trained, he left behind a lasting body of knowledge and artistic practice. Trained at the Medresetü’l-Hattâtîn, Ünver produced works in traditional arts such as miniature painting, illumination, calligraphy, and marbling. He regarded these arts as a living value to be carried into the future.

The competition aims to make A. Süheyl Ünver’s legacy visible on an international level, to support the faithful and accomplished practice of classical miniature painting, and to bring together artists from different countries on a shared cultural and artistic ground, thereby contributing original and high-quality works to the field of miniature painting.

Theme of the Competition

The theme of the competition is “Süheyl Ünver’s Legacy.”

Participants are expected to produce original works in the classical miniature style, drawing inspiration from the works, artistic sensibility, and understanding of cultural heritage of A. Süheyl Ünver, a many-sided artist and scholar.

Within this framework, the works may be shaped around Ünver’s city notebooks, his studies in the history of medicine, his interest in manuscripts, his research on Seljuk and Ottoman art and architecture, his attention to Istanbul and the cities of Anatolia, and his lifelong dedication to the traditional arts.

The competition seeks to carry Süheyl Ünver’s legacy and his innovative artistic sensibility into the future through original miniature interpretations by new generations of artists.

Participation Conditions

• The competition is open to amateur and professional artists from all countries. There is no age limit.
• Works submitted to the competition must not have previously received an award in any competition, been exhibited, or been published in digital or printed media.
• Each artist may submit a maximum of two works.
• The ownership, reproduction, and publication rights of the prize-winning works shall belong to the organizing institution.
• Works that directly copy the composition of another artist, or of a historical or contemporary work, will not be accepted.
• The competition is devoted solely to the art of miniature painting. Works must not include additions from other branches of art, such as calligraphy, marbling, paper cutting, or dominant illumination elements. Works that do not comply with this rule will be disqualified.
• Works must be prepared in the technique and style of classical miniature painting.
• Participants must include in the application form a short paragraph explaining the subject of their work and its relation to Süheyl Ünver’s legacy.
• Digital prints, digital drawings, photographic prints, acrylic or oil paintings on canvas, and any other practices outside classical miniature technique will not be accepted.
• In accordance with classical miniature techniques, works must be executed on paper using watercolor, gouache, or gold.
• Works submitted to the competition must measure either 36.5 × 25.5 cm or 42 × 29.5 cm. A margin of 10 cm must be added on each side outside the composition area.
• In keeping with the balance of filled and empty space in classical miniature painting, at least 60% of the visual area of the work must be filled with a well-executed composition related to the theme.
• Works must be submitted unframed.
• Works must be suitable for exhibition, clean, undamaged, and in sound condition.
• Folded, stained, torn, moisture-damaged, seriously damaged during transport, or otherwise unsuitable works may be excluded from jury evaluation.
• The artist’s name, signature, or any mark identifying the artist must not appear on the front side of the work. Artist information must be provided separately in the application form.
• Participants are deemed to have accepted all conditions stated in these guidelines.