Kırkpınar through the Eyes of the "World's Most Talented Photographer"!

"Photo District News" has recognized among its "30 Most Talented and Emerging Photographers in the World" the photographer Pari Dukoviç, whose photography exhibition opens in Edirne on 7 July 2011.

WITH THE SUPPORT OF BAHÇEŞEHİR UNIVERSITY

The exhibition, to be opened with the support of Bahçeşehir University, will showcase Dukoviç's photographs from his "Kırkpınar Project" .

The exhibition will feature strikingly aesthetic photographs taken by Dukoviç, working both on and off the field, throughout the 649th Historic Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival.

Before the exhibition, which will open at the Ekmekçizade Caravanserai Culture Center, a panel will also be held with Heath Lowry, Ali Gümüş and Ayhan Tunca as speakers.

YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER FROM ISTANBUL

Dukoviç, who started taking photographs at the age of 9 with the first camera given to him by his father, was born in Istanbul in 1984...

After graduating from Eyüboğlu College, he was admitted with a photography scholarship to the "Rochester Institute of Technology"and completed his education there, graduating with great success.

HE WON THE OSCAR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

With consecutive awards and his photographs published in many famous newspapers and magazines such as the New York Times, Marie Claire and Skylife, Dukoviç became a professional photographer. His goal was to prepare a project that would best introduce Türkiye's culture. For this, he chose the Ottoman capital Edirne and the "Kırkpınar Wrestling".

He preferred an analog camera instead of a digital one to photograph the wrestlers' prayers before the match, their oiling, the drum ceremony and the cazgır (announcer), thus emphasizing the nostalgic side of the wrestling.

With this project, Dukoviç won the PDN award, regarded as the Oscar of photography in America, and his photographs were published in the magazine's March 2011 issue.

OTHER AWARDS

Dukoviç's other awards are as follows:

In 2001, he received the "Ernie Anastos" Journalism Award.
In 2005, he received the "Kodak Emerging Photographers Award", given to a single young artist with a special vision in photography; in 2006, a project of his was selected first in the advertising photography category by the American Advertising Federation (ADDY).
He received a ranking at the 2010 International Photography Awards in America.
2011 London International Festival of Photography: Finalist and Exhibition.