Haydar Ekinek was born in 1967 in the village of Çomaklı in the city of Van, Turkey. His interest in painting dates back to his childhood, and his art has been heavily influenced by the living conditions of his home region. As a small child, he began his artistic journey by making drawings on the walls of the village oven. In his early years, he started developing his art through experiments with nail-based techniques on the oven walls and eventually discovered the unique method for which he is known today – painting with nails.

 

After his education in Van, the artist achieved significant success during his school years, winning several awards. Upon completing his formal education, he decided to move to Istanbul to advance his artistic work and create a broader spectrum of artworks. However, the new responsibilities as a father of three children and a husband made it challenging to focus exclusively on art. To support his family, he worked as a sign painter during the day and dedicated his evenings to his true passion, painting. Over time, his passion for art grew, and his portfolio of works became more diverse.

 

As his art matured, he chose to leave the world of sign-making behind and establish his own art studio. The artist, who placed women at the center of his works, intended to express the complex emotions of women with a unique combination of nails and brushes, creating diverse and impressive spaces in his designs. Despite many criticisms of his nude compositions, the artist remained steadfast in his dedication to expressing the feelings of women, and this became his trademark.

 

The artist gained widespread recognition for his exceptional use of nails in his paintings and is known as the "Picasso of the East" because of it. While his artworks adorn galleries in four different countries (Australia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Dubai), he also continues his collaboration with numerous art organizations. Currently, the artist is dedicating himself to his creative efforts in his studio near the village of Karamürsel, close to Yalova in Turkey.