Yahia Turki

يحيى التركي (يحيى بن الحاج عثمان) (Known as "Yahia")

Father of Tunisian Painting, President of the École de Tunis, Master Colorist

Born 1903

Istanbul, Turkey

Passed Away Mar 01, 1969 Tunis, Tunisia

Lifespan 66 years old

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Notice / Correction

"The light of Tunis is soft and proud; the painter's brush needs only sincerity to reveal its soul."

Archival Overview

Revered 'Father of Tunisian Painting' and long-time president of the École de Tunis whose luminous, post-impressionist canvases captured the light, architectural harmonies, and everyday human dignity of the Medina of Tunis.

Biographical Record

Born Yahia Ben El Hadj Othman to a Tunisian-Turkish family, Yahia Turki studied at the Lycée Carnot and the Centre d'Art in Tunis before working in Paris alongside Albert Marquet. Returning to Tunisia, he broke with orientalist exoticism to paint authentic Tunisian life from within.

In 1949, he co-founded the famed École de Tunis (School of Tunis) alongside Ammar Farhat and Jellal Ben Abdallah, serving as its president from 1956 until his passing in 1969. His canvases celebrated courtyard fountains, fishmongers, and Mediterranean whitewashed walls with serene color harmonies.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Djellaz Cemetery
Tunis, Tunisia

                         GPS: 36.7833, 10.1833                    

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