Ozel attributes his early childhood experiences as the most defining factor of his life and art. Every year while his family was growing and harvesting
grapes and other heavenly fruits he spent 4 , 5 months out of a year in a pristine mountain village( Alic) untouched by modern advances. The rest of the year of his schooling he moved back to Iskenderun a sophisticated town in Turkey Mediterranean coast. Later in his career this experience give birth to his creation ” The Semi Civilized Tree ” During his teenage years along his art and music he was an accomplished and decorated sportsman, a gymnast – gymnastic captain of his high school and was among the top swimmers in Turkey. And he made his mark as a formidable wrestler. In 1966 he was accepted to the School of Fine and Applied Arts in Istanbul, there he studied with Karl Schlamminger.
During his student years in Istanbul he was in high demand as a professional artist, receiving commissions from corporations and executed many works. Also during this time he studied the ney-classical Turkish flute- with Akagunduz Kutbay, the foremost ney player of his time and violin and classical Turkish music with composer Aydin Oran. In 1970 he won the Turkish Radio and Television Unions painting award – the most prestigious in Turkey – and was among the top ten artist in Turkey.
On the intellectual plane he was self studying ancient and contemporary Western philosophers theoretical physic psychology, cosmology and other scientific and technological factors of his time1971-1974 he traveled most of Asia, Europe and Americas – visited most of the major art and cultural centers in these continents – while exhibiting his artworks and playing music in concerts, jazz clubs. In 1976 he received University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Graduate School Fellowship and joined the graduate school. America and the graduate school brought a new experimental era to Ozel’s art. During the graduate school years Ozel extensively experimented in many different directions: painting, sculpture, music, installation, combined media, mixed media event and installation performances, bridging the gap in between these in a personal aesthetic and philosophical framework. In the art department he studied with John Colt and Larry Rathsack, in the music department studied with composer Yehuda Yannay. Ozel,s path has crossed some of the greatest artists, musicians, writers of his time, in exhibitions, concerts, performances and in friendships. Among them some are Robert Rauschenberg, composer/conductor John Adams, composer Lou Harrison, John Denver, writer Bart Hopkin, composer Clarence Barlow., Chris Burden, Mike Kelly, Hany Naser (Drummer for santana) , John York (Guitarist for Byrds), Prof. George Legrady. Ozel has been also active teaching K-9,helped to students to create many murals and countless
art works.
| Education | |
| Master of Fine Arts, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI Major: Painting, Sculpture & Interdisciplinary Studies. Minor: Music | 1976 – 1978 |
Bachelor of Fine Arts, The School of Fine & Applied Arts, Istanbul, Turkey Major: Painting – Architectural/Environmental Painting & Sculpture | 1966 – 1971 |
| Grants and Awards | |
| Phillip Hulitar Award Juried by James Demetrion, Director Hirshorn Museum, Washington, D.C. Sixtieth Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Painting Society of the Four Atrs, Palm Beach, FL | 1999 |
| Juried, First Prize – Painting Coral Springs Museum of Art, Coral Springs, FL | 1999 |
| Award of Excellence Founder’s Exhibition, Naples Art Association, Naples, FL | 1999 |
| Best of Show Boca Raton Museum Art Guild Exhibition, Boca Raton, FL | 1999 |
| Best of Show – Painting Cape Coral Art League, Cape Coral, FL | 1998 |
| First Prize – Oil Painting Naples Art Association Annual, Naples, FL | 1998 |
| First Prize – Oil Painting Ernest Hemingway Festival, Art Competition, Sanibel Island, FL | 1997 |
| Best of Show – Painting Big Arts, Sanibel Island, FL | 1977 |
| Grant (Summer & Fall) Sculpture Media Research Milwaukee Graduate School, University of Wisconsin | 1976 |
| Painting Award – National: Presented to the Top Ten Artists in the Country Turkish Radio and Television Union | 1971 |
| Selected One Man Shows | |
| Exclusively represented by Brenart Gallery, Brussels, Belgium | 2005-2014 |
Paintings Brenart Gallery, Pasadena, CA | 2006 |
Gallery Installation Judy Chicago Parallel Project, Artis Gallery, Pomona,CA | 2004 |
Paintings / Acrylic Relief’s Artis Gallery, Pomona, CA | 2003 & 2004 |
Painting Daytona Beach Art League Center, Daytona Beach, FL | 1999 |
Painting / Sculpture West Wing Gallery, Naples, FL | 1998 |
| Painting/Mixed Media Art House, Fort Myers, FL | 1998 |
| Painting/Sculpture/Mixed Media San Francisco, Hunters Point; Naval Shipyard Open Studio, San Francisco, CA | 1989 – 1996 |
| Installation National Painting and Sculpture Museum, Ankara, Turkey | 1987 |
| Gallery Installation Sanfa Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey | 1987 |
| Painting / Combined Media Exhibition Gallerie Pallete, Schweinfurt, West Germany | 1987 |
| Painting Exhibition Acorn Gallery, Boulder, CO | 1980 |
| Gallery Installation / Happening Fine Arts Gallery, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI | 1978 |
| Painting / Sculpture Exhibition Bradley Galleries, Milwaukee, WI | 1978 |
| Painting Exhibition / Flute Recital (Expo-Concierto) Galeria Vittorio, Guatemala City, Gatemala | 1974 |
| Painting Exhibition Gallerie L’Abbayye, Brussels, Belgium | 1973 |
Selected Group Exhibition and Music Performances | |
| Digicom Film Festival received Top award for like Tomatoes (see video) for a short film depicting his teaching, Palm Springs, Ca | 2015 |
| Palm Springs international short film festival “like Tomatoes” Palm Springs, Ca | 2015 |
La Quinta Museum Art Exhibition – Painting La Quinta, CA | 2013-2014 |
Classical Turkish Music Concert Orange Blossom Festival, sponsored by Riverside Philharmonics, Riverside, CA | 2005 |
San Diego 6th Annual International Exhibition San Diego Art Institute, San Diego, CA | 2001 |
Endangered Spaces / Juried Exhibition San Diego Art Institute, San Diego, CA | 2001 |
Annual Juried Exhibition Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA | 2001 |
| Annual Juried Exhibition City of Palm Springs Arts Commission, Palm Springs, CA | 2000 |
| Annual Exhibition and Auction – Hosted and Participated by Robert Rauschenberg Arts for ACT, Harbor side Convention Hall, Ft. Myers, FL | 1999 & 1998 |
| 10th Annual Art Exhibition for Lee County, FL. Art in Public Places, Juried, Southwest, FL | 1999 |
| 17TH Annual Juried Exhibition Art Encounter ’99, The Von Liebig Art Center, Naples, FL | 1999 |
| Art ’99 Juried Mixed Media Southwest Florida Artists Edison Community College Gallery of Fine Arts, Ft. Myers, FL | 1999 |
| Naples Art Association Founders Exhibit, Juried The Von Liebig Art Center, Naples, FL | 1999 |
Coral Springs Museum of Art, Coral Springs, FL | 1999 |
| 17th Annual Exhibition Art Encounter ’99, Von Liebig Art Center, Naples, FL | 1999 |
| Coral Springs Art League Museum Show, Juried Coral Springs Art Museum, Coral Springs, FL | 1999 |
| Boca Museum of Art Guild Exhibition Coral Springs Museum of Art, Coral Springs, FL | 1999 |
Boca Museum of Art Guild and Gallery Exhibition | 1998 |
| Sixtieth Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary Painting The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, FL | 1998 |
| Center for Emerging Art 1998 Invitational Exhibition Center for Emerging Art, Miami, FL | 1998 |
| Experimental Musical Instruments, Invitational California Arts and Craft Museum, San Francisco, CA | 1987 |
| Contemporary Arts/30,000 B.C.-Present/Sculpture ,Juried San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA | 1985 |
| Diamanda Galas / Nazim Ozel Concert I-Beam, San Francisco, CA | 1985 |
| Celebration of Sculpture Mixed Media Installation, Juried Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA | 1985 |
| Paintings, Juried San Francisco Art Institute Satellite Exhibition, San Francisco, CA | 1985 |
| Installation San Francisco Arts Commission Festival, Juried San Francisco, CA | 1985 |
| Improvisations on the Ney – Participated by John Denver Lauden and Nelson Center, Santa Cruz, CA | 1981 |
| Environmental Sculpture Exhibition, Juried Aspen Visual Arts Center, Aspen, CO | 1979 |
| Selected Solo Performances and Concerts | |
| The Tree (Experimental Music Concert Series) La Quinta Museum, La Quinta, CA | 2013-2014 |
| The Tree (Experimental Music Concert) University of California, Santa Barbara, CA | 2013 |
| The Tree (Experimental Music Concert) Presidio Chapel, San Francisco, CA | 2005 |
| The Tree & Dan Exactly Band Blackbird Festival, Weed, CA | 2012 |
| The Tree / Earth Dance Festivl lJoshua Tree, CA | 2005 |
The Tree (Experimental Music Concert) Sozenji Buddhist Temple, Montebello, CA | 2005 |
| East/West: Close Ups (Sponsored by Composer John Adams) Cabrillo Music Festival, Classical & New Music, Civic auditorium, Santa Cruz, CA | 1991 |
Holes of Perception (Multi-Media Installation/Performance) Mills College Concert Hall, Oakland, CA | 1985 |
| New Departures Semi-Civilized Tree (Concert) Theatre Artaud, San Francisco, CA | 1985 |
| Ancient to the Future Music (Concert) Shared Visions, Berkeley, CA | 1984 |
| Live Oak Tree (Experimental Music Concert) Performing Arts Theatre, Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA | 1983 |
| Slingshot (Multi-Media Installation Performance) Fine Arts Recital Hall, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI | 1978 |
| Interruptions (Multi-Media Installation Performance) Fine Arts Recital Hall, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, W | 1977 |
| Professional Experience | |
| Freelance Artist | 1979-Present |
| Art Shows and Music Performances Throughout Europe, United States and Central America | 1972-1974 |
| Professional Artist Commissioned by corporations, theaters, nightclubs, | 1966-1972 1974-1975 |
| Music | |
| |
| Lectures | |
| University of California, Santa Cruz, CA Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA Mills College, Oakland, CA Deri Show, Istanbul, Turkey | 1980-1986
|
| Radio Appearances | |
|
NPR, KPFA, Berkley, CA KGO, KUSF, San Francisco, CA KUSP, Santa Cruz, CA KAZU, Monterey, CA | 1980-1985 |
| Workshops | |
|
Classical and Improvisational Turkish Music University of California, Santa Cruz, CA Lauden Nelson Center, Santa Cruz, CA Shared Visions, Berkley, Ca | 1981-1985 |
| Teaching Experience | |
| Palm springs Unified School Dist Palm springs, CA Painting and Drawing, working with elementary schools Desert Sands Unified School Dist Indio, CA Painting and Drawing, Murals and worked extensively with Carrillo ranch Elementary School Coachella Valley Unified School Dist Coachella, CA Painting, Drawing, Murals, Work with Elementary & Middle Schooli n Indio, Coachella and Mecca, Ca Riverside Arts Council Riverside, CA Paiting, Drawing, Murals, Work with Elementary & Middle Schools in Indio, Perris and Riverside, Ca SPECTRA Cultural Councils Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, CA Painting, Drawing, Murals, Work with Elementary & Middle Schools in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Felton, CaUniversity of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI Lecturer, Basic Assistant Basic Drawing Project Assistant, Art History References Furnished Upon Request | 2013-2014 2008-2011 2007-2010 2001-2005 1980-81 1978 1976 -1977 1976 |