Born in 1961 in Istanbul, Turkey, Kutlug Ataman studied film at University of California, Los Angeles, graduating in 1988. A resident of Istanbul, London and Buenos Aires, Kutlug’s work has been exhibited extensively around the world, at locations including Tate Britain, London, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Venice Biennale and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. He was short-listed for the Turner Prize in 2004.
Kutlug arrived in Southern California in 1981 after a short spell in a Turkish prison for alleged left-wing activities. He stayed for 13 years, gaining his B.A. and Masters degrees in film. Ataman made a name for himself as a film director, and from 1997, an award winning artist.
Video performances and portraits by Kutlug include Kutlug Ataman’s Semiha B. Unplugged (1994) Who Wear Wigs (1999), Never My Soul (2001), It’s a Vicious Circle (2002), 1+1=1 (2002), The 4 Seasons of Veronica Reed (2002), Twelve (2003) Stephan’s Room (2004) and Küba (2004).