About
An academic at Sakarya University since 2012 and a designer working across social poster design, branding, editorial design, and ex libris.
Received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Uludağ University and a Doctor of Fine Arts from Hacettepe University. My works have been exhibited at international design events including Golden Bee Global Biennale of Graphic Design, Shanghai Biennial of Asia Graphic Design, Ecuador Poster Biennial, Warsaw Poster Biennial and Madrid Gráfica.
As part of my research into vernacular typography, I’ve studied the local letterforms in the Turkish cities of Bursa and Sakarya and the sign painters who made them. I am also a writer and an editor publishing the monthly newsletter of the Turkish Typography Society since 2019.
Academic Articles
- 2026New Marketing Methods of Type Foundries: Accessing Unfinished Typefaces and Sub-brandsArticle
- 2025A sign painter in the triangle of Lüleburgaz, Fethiye and Bursa: Abdullah CankurtaranArticle
- 2023The sign painters of Sakarya: Cemalettin Vural and the Pilicci familyArticle
- 2023The sign painters of BursaArticle
- 2022Third eye in evaluation processes of visual communication design education: An artificial intelligence modelArticle
- 2021From folk painting to graphic design: Numan Balıca and his apprentices in AdapazarıArticle
- 2020Basic approaches in visual communication design education: Specialism and generalismPaper
- 2020The car painter of Bursa: Enver ErtabanArticle
- 2019Vernacular as a design approach in visual communication designArticle
- 2018New generation digital reading experience and future of e-bookArticle
- 2018The sign painter of Sakarya: Enver YücebalkanPaper
- 2018Aesthetic experience in visual communication design and the importance of first attractionArticle
- 2017Ethic and its education in visual communication design through the concept of responsibilityArticle
- 2014On the education of typography in TurkeyArticle
- 2014Designing communication with imagesArticle
- 2013From graphic arts to communication designArticle
Essays & Interviews
- 2026Documenting the Signs and Sign Painters of Bursa, TurkeyEssay
- 2026Brushstrokes on Wheels: The Story of Horsecart Painter Numan BalıcaEssay
- 2025Interview with Yaprak Buse ÇağlarInterview
- 2025Letters on the field: The rising power of typography in sports brandingEssay
- 2024The role of women in type designEssay
- 2024On vernacular typographyEssay
- 2024Interview with İbrahim KaçtıoğluInterview
- 2024The awareness of diacriticsEssay
- 2024Typefaces that defy gender discriminationEssay
- 2024Monopolisation in the type industryEssay
- 2023Enver Yücebalkan: Signs of the Silver Screens, Issue 03 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)Essay
- 2023Typographic mistakes with the examples Part TwoEssay
- 2022Interview with Murathan BiliktuInterview
- 2022On the friendship of a car painter with the Turkish painter Abidin Dino in Istanbul in the 1940sEssay
- 2020Interview with Cem EskinaziInterview
- 2020Interview with Erkin KaramemetInterview
- 2020Typographic mistakes with the examples Part OneEssay
- 2019Fundamentals of typography: Using dashes correctlyEssay
- 2019Abstract: The Art of Design documentary and our great terminology helplessnessEssay
- 2019Interview with Efecan SerinInterview
- 2019The future of typographyTranslation
- 2018On poster: 33 Posters, 2 Questions, 44 AnswersEssay
Books
Published Book
- 2025Ertürk, M. (2025). The Letters of Sakarya: In Pursuit of Commercial Artists and Sign Paintings, Değişim Publishing.
- 2025Durmaz, Ö. & Ertürk, M. (2025). Gülümser Aral Üretmen: One of The Pioneer of Female Graphic Designers in Turkey. E. Resnick (Ed.), Women Graphic Designers: Rebalancing the Canon. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- 2023Experimental Typography (2023). S. Selamet (Ed.), Advanced Typography (pp. 30–59). Eskisehir: Anadolu University Press.
- 2023Vernacular Typography (2023). S. Selamet (Ed.), Advanced Typography (pp. 224–243). Eskisehir: Anadolu University Press.
Exhibitions
- 20265th International Poster Exhibition (Posterist). Türkiye.
- 2025Type Text International Typography Poster Show. Łódź, Poland.
- 2025Madrid Gráfica Abierta International Poster Exhibition. Spain.
- 202517th International Anadolu Calligraphy and Typography Event. Eskişehir, Türkiye.
- 20256th International Exlibris Competition Istanbul. Türkiye.
- 2025International Exlibris Competition Varna. Bulgaria.
- 2025Bursa Uludag University International Invitational Poster Exhibition. Türkiye.
- 202416th Golden Bee Global Biennale of Graphic Design. Russia.
- 2024International Competition of 'Exlibris for Peace' within the XL International FISAE Congress in Palma de Mallorca. Spain.
- 2024Luga Poster Biennale. Portugal.
- 202412th International Eco-Poster Triennial 'The 4th Block'. Ukraine.
- 202213th International Competition for Exlibris Gliwice. Poland.
- 20225th International Exlibris Competition. Istanbul.
- 202214th International Anadolu Calligraphy and Typography Event. Eskisehir.
- 202110th International Triennial of Graphic Art Bitola. North Macedonia.
- 2020MadridGráfica20 International Graphic Design Events. Spain.
- 2020Ecuador Poster Biennial.
- 2020International Exlibris Competition 'Spirit'. Poland.
- 2018Ecuador Poster Biennial.
- 201812th International Competition for Exlibris Gliwice. Poland.
- 2018MadridGráfica18 International Graphic Design Events. Spain.
- 20189th International Exlibris and Small Graphic Art Competition. Poland.
- 2018The Seattle Istanbul Poster Show. USA.
- 20174th Shanghai Biennial of Asia Graphic Design. China.
- 20177th Contratalla International Biennial of Exlibris. Spain.
- 2017XIII International Ex Libris Competition: Ex Libris-Ex Libertas. Bulgaria.
- 2017MadridGráfica17 International Graphic Design Events. Spain.
- 20172nd International Organ Donation Poster Competition. Switzerland.
- 2016The Seattle-Istanbul Poster Show. Turkey.
- 2016Moscow Global Biennale of Graphic Design Golden Bee 12. Russia.
- 20168th International Exlibris and Small Graphic Forms Competition. Poland.
- 201611th International Graphic Competition for Exlibris Gliwice. Poland.
- 2015International Trnava Poster Triennial. Slovak Republic.
- 2015First International Festival of School of Art and Design (FISAD). Italy.
- 2014Moscow Global Biennale of Graphic Design Golden Bee 11. Russia.
- 201424th International Poster Biennial Warsaw. Poland.
- 2012International Trnava Poster Triennial. Slovak Republic.
- 20127th International Triennial of Graphic Art Bitola. Macedonia.
- 20122nd Guangzhou International Exlibris and Mini-Prints Biennial. China.
- 20129th International Graphic Competition for Exlibris. Poland.
- 2011The 5th Shanghai Fu Xian Zhai International Exlibris Invitational Exhibition. China.
- 20115th International Exlibris and Small Graphic Forms Competition Men-Earth-Universe. Gdańsk, Poland.
- 201012th International Mail Art Exhibition Portrait. Alba, Romania.
- 20096th International Triennial of Graphic Art Bitola. Bitola, Macedonia.
- 20084th Contratalla International Biennial of Exlibris. Tarragona, Spain.
- 20079th International Mail Art Exhibition People and Culture. Alba, Romania.
Awards & Accolades
- 2026City Contribution Award, Bursa Civil Society Association (Sivilay)
- 2021Honorable Mention at the International Dervish Yunus Emre Exlibris Competition
- 2020Finalist at Ecuador Poster Biennial
- 2020Finalist (Top 60) at Uruguay Poster Festival
- 2020Honorable Mention at the International Exlibris Competition in Cyprus and Poland
- 2019Achievement Award at Sakarya University
- 2018Silver Award at Ecuador Poster Biennial
- 2018Finalist (Top 100) at MadridGráfica18 International Graphic Design Events. Spain
- 2017Finalist (Top 100) at MadridGráfica17 International Graphic Design Events. Spain
- 2017Finalist (Top 100) at the 2nd International Organ Donation Poster Competition. Switzerland
- 2015Finalist at International Trnava Poster Triennial. Slovak Republic
- 2012Finalist (Top 20) at Utilita Manifesta 2012 Design Contest: Energy For All. Italy
- 2012Excellent Exlibris at the 2nd Guangzhou International Exlibris and Mini-Prints Biennial. China
- 2011Honorable Mention at the International Rauf Denktaş Exlibris Competition. Cyprus
- 2011Second Award at the 5th International Exlibris and Small Graphic Forms Competition. Poland
- 2009First Award at the 4th May Day Poster Competition. Istanbul