Canan Tolon

Canan Tolon (born 1955) is a Turkish-born artist who now lives and works in Emeryville, California. She has exhibited internationally in Ankara, Istanbul, Kiev, London, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland and San Francisco. In 2010, one of Tolon's paintings, "Glitch VI" (2008) was a highlight at Sotheby's auction in Turkey, and in 2012, Art + Auction named Tolon one of the 50 Next Most Collectible Artists . In a Los Angeles Times review date Nov. 14, 2014, the writer noted that Tolon's painting "highlight our tendency to look for recognizable forms" and "also perhaps a comment on the degraded quality of our image landscape."

Early life and education

Canan Tolon was born in Istanbul in 1955 and spent her childhood in France. She studied design and architecture at Ecole Française d’Istanbul (1975), Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland (1976), Fachhochschule, Trier, Germany (1979), Middlesex University/Architectural Association, London, England (1980) and University of California, Berkeley, where she earned an M.A. in architecture (1983).

Collections

• British Museum, London
• Istanbul Modern, Istanbul IKSV (Istanbul Foundation for Culture and the Arts)
• Nesrin Esirtgen Collection, Istanbul
• Omer Koç Foundation, SantralIstanbul, Istanbul

Awards and residencies

• 2012: The Kidder Residency in the Arts, Institute for the Humanities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• 2007: Emeryville Public Arts Award, Emeryville, California
• 2000: Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
• 1999: Center for Mediterranean Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
• 1998: Arts Council of Wales
• 1998: Berllanderi Sculpture Workshop, Wales
• 1997: Gamblin Fellowship Artist in Residence, Vermont Studio Center
• 1996: Artist in Residence, The Camargo Foundation, Cassis, France
• 1995: Artist in Residence, MacDowell Colony, Peterborough, New Hampshire
• 1994: Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)/NEA; Painting
• 1992: Artist in Residence, Bemis Foundation, Omaha, Nebraska
• 1991: Artist in Residence, Bemis Foundation, Omaha, Nebraska
• 1989: San Francisco Focus Design Award, San Francisco, California