Biography
Onur Öztürk is an Assistant Professor of Art History in the School of Visual Arts. Originally from Ankara, Türkiye, he received an M.Arch. degree in History of Architecture from the Middle East Technical University and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Öztürk's research focuses on the built environments of Asia Minor and Chicago. He is the primary editor of Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art (co-editors Xenia Gazi and Sam Bowker, Routledge, 2022). His most recent article on Ottoman Architecture and a climate phenomenon known as the Little Ice Age has been published in the International Journal of Islamic Architecture and it is titled "The Last Grand Külliye of Istanbul: The Yeni Valide Mosque Complex and the Little Ice Age." Dr. Öztürk’s current research focuses on Chicago's world expositions and the Balbo Monument, and involves a partnership with contemporary artist Dawit L. Petros. The latest iteration of this project, “Intertwined Imperialisms: The Art of Dawit L. Petros and A Century of Progress Exposition,” has been published for the catalogue of the recent Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) exhibition, Prospetto a Mare.
Dr. Öztürk teaches global art history and visual culture courses at Columbia College Chicago including Art of Islam and Art and Ritual. His teaching and scholarship aim to reveal our intertwined histories while tackling linear and discriminatory narratives of art history.
Instructional Areas
Art of Islam; Art and Ritual; Art as Spiritual and Social Practice; Design History: Objects and Spaces; Global History of Architecture; Introduction to Visual Culture; Rethinking Museums; Art History Survey: Prehistoric to Modern.
Creative Practice and Research Interests
Roman Provincial Art and Architecture; Early Turkish Islamic Art and Architecture; Alevi Culture and Rituals; Ottoman Art and Architecture; Chicago Architecture; Art and Politics; Architectural Illustration; Digital Reconstruction; Art History Pedagogy
Degrees
B.Arch, Architecture Middle East Technical University 2000
M.Arch, History of Architecture Middle East Technical University 2002
Ph.D., Art History University of Texas-Austin 2013