Abidin Dino’s 106th Birthday

Today’s Doodle celebrates artist and author Abidin Dino, known to many as a pioneer of the Turkish avant-garde movement. Born on this day in 1913, Dino created canvases blending elements of expressionism, realism, and surrealism, which now adorn the walls of museums and collectors in Spain and Turkey. Turkish publications featured his calligraphic illustrations and essays, and his unique vision was even present in cinema and across stages.

At 20, Dino co-founded D Grubu (or Group D), Turkey's first avant-garde movement, alongside five other innovators. While working in Paris, he was introduced to famed figures like Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein before returning to Istanbul in 1939. He participated in the historic “Harbor Exhibition,” a show featuring realistic portraits of dockworkers and fishermen, and was later recruited to design the Turkish Pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Dino's political cartoons during World War II resulted in a forced exile, during which he created some of his most resonant work. In 1952, he returned to France with his wife, Güzin.

The couple played host to fellow Turkish artists, scholars, and students for many years, connecting worlds and worldviews. Dino exhibited along with other progressive artists at the Salon de Mai in Paris every spring from 1954 to 1962.

In 1979, Dino was elected honorary chairman of the French National Union of the Visual Arts (UNAP). His drawings of hands and flowers—which inspired today’s Doodle—were collected into a small book dedicated to his wife, titled Güzin’s Abidins, a testament to the heartfelt inspiration behind his vision.

Happy 106th Birthday, Abidin!

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