Umit Turgay Durgun is a sculptor and graffiti artist from Istanbul, Turkey, currently living and working in Stazzema, Italy. His multidisciplinary practice bridges the raw energy of urban street art with the monumental traditions of classical sculpture, forming a distinctive language rooted in myth, history, and transformation.
Durgun began his formal education in the arts at Maçka Akif Tuncel Anatolian High School for Plastic Arts, followed by a degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Sculpture Department at Marmara University in Istanbul. He later moved to Carrara to pursue a master's degree, drawn by the city’s rich sculptural heritage and the availability of classical materials like marble, which continue to play an important role in his work.
His creative journey began in the streets of Istanbul, where he was first drawn to graffiti as a form of public expression. This early engagement with art in urban environments sparked a lifelong commitment to creating works that are both accessible and immersive, often meant to be experienced in public spaces.
From a young age, Durgun was deeply fascinated by ancient civilizations, their mythologies, architectural feats, and symbolic creatures. He was intrigued by the way these societies externalized human characteristics through sacred figures and monumental constructions. To him, mythology represented not external truths, but inner psychological landscapes made visible. This perspective continues.