Mahmut Celayir was born in 1951 in a small village in the high mountains in East Anatolia. At the age of 20, he left the village, which was determined by strict traditions, to study at the Academy of Applied Arts, making use of a state funding program for highly talented children. Subsequently, he studied design and stage design. In 1986 Celayir came to Stuttgart, after having worked as a stage designer at the State Theatre in Istanbul for some time.

He lives and works temporarily in Berlin. He has built up a reputation thanks to many international solo and group exhibitions. His works are on display at the Museum of Modern Art in Istanbul, at the State Museum in Ankara, and the Staatsgalerie in S...