Metin Yurdanur was born in Sivrihisar in 1951. Among the remains of 3000 years old civilizations, Phrygia, Rome and Seljuk Empire, he spent his childhood and youth. At the garden of his father’s iron atelier he played games with antique materials, belonging to 19th and 20th centuries. From these experiences, he developed an interest in three-dimensional forms influenced by historical artifacts and antiques. His choice of studying arts at the university was likely based on these experiences and interests. 

 

He graduated from Ankara Gazi Institute of Education, Department of Arts, in 1972. From 1972 to 1978 he taught at high schools and from 1978 to 1981 he worked as a sculpture modeling teacher at the Department of Arts, Ankara Gazi Institute of Education. In 1979, he prepared a number of designs as a response to the request by the Municipality of Ankara’s “project of decoration of the city with the plastic components”. Those designs became today’s “Hands” in Abdi Ipekci Park, “Heritage” in railway station area, and “Interdependence” in Batikent. 

 

The artist, who has more than 100 statues around the world, has been self-employed since 1981. Some of his works are in Germany, Japan, Hungary, Libya, Mongolia and Cuba. 

 

In 2005, he opened an annual exhibition at the campus of Ankara University with the title “I am Anatolia, I am the republic, I am the people”, which consisted of more than 50 statues. The exhibition, which shares culture and arts with the academicians, students and resident community, is now repeated every year in a different university. It is the first and the only exhibition of this kind in Turkey. 

 

The artist has an open-air sculpture museum in Sivrihisar, where his works are exhibited on an area of ??approximately one hundred thousand square meters. The restoration of “Municipality of Sivrihisar Metin Yurdanur Arts & Culture House and Sculpture Garden”, located in the same area, was completed in 2016 with the support of Turkish Republic Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Governorship of Eskisehir and Municipality of Sivrihisar. This historical building, which belongs to the artist, is listed as registered cultural asset and is located next to the Surp Yerrortutyun Church. 

 

Metin Yurdanur continues his works in his studio in Ankara.