Tahsin Aykutalp

Dündar Tahsin Aykutalp was born in Istanbul in 1926 to his father Hayri Bey and mother Mevhibe Hanım, who was from the Kayi Tribe. His grandfather was Nakkaş Mevlüt Ağa. He gets his name Dündar from one of the generals of Fatih Sultan Mehmed who was named Dündar Bey. His early childhood was spent in the Silivrikapı district of Fatih where he also completed his primary education at a primary school named Yirmidördüncü İlkokulu. He attended middleschool at Mevlanakapı Ortaokulu. At this school his art teacher Sa'im Bey noticed Aykutalps talents in drawing and upon Sa'im Beys suggestion Aykutalp does the entry exam for the State Fine Arts Academy. Of the 400 participants of this exam he achieves the first place and is accepted to the Fina Arts Academy in 1946. Although being technically two months too old, upon the encouragement of some of the teachers he enters the Traditional Turkish Arts department. At the academy he is educated inder Cevat Dereli, Mustafa Halim Özyazıcı, Necmeddin Okyay, Feyzullah Dayıgil, İsmail Yümnî and Beykozlu Hüseyin Hoca. He graduated in 1951.^[2]

After his graduation he commences his mandatory military service. He serves 6 months in Ankara and 6 more months in Siirt as an officer. He marries Saadet Hanım in 1956 and produces one female and one male offspring with her. The decide to name their son, the male offspring, İsmet; their daughter, the female offspring is named Hayri.^[2]