Hülya Korkmaz

Hülya Korkmaz, born in the 1980s in Burdur, is one of the pioneering figures in scientific botanical illustration in Türkiye. She graduated as the second-highest-ranking student in her department from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Graphic Design Department at Süleyman Demirel University, and later completed her MA in Graphic Design at Haliç University’s Institute of Social Sciences.

Since the early 2000s, Korkmaz has focused on scientific illustration. Between 2004 and 2005, she received her initial training in Istanbul with the support of the ANG Foundation, attending workshops led by Christabel King of Kew Gardens. In 2007, she was invited to a three-week professional program at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, further developing her international experience.

Korkmaz has conducted numerous educational programs throughout Türkiye. She has trained dozens of students through courses offered at institutions such as the Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden, Kafkas University, Zeytinburnu Medicinal Plants Garden, Enstitü İstanbul İSMEK, and the Foundation for Classical Turkish Arts. Since 2010, she has continued teaching in her personal studio in Üsküdar, Istanbul.

She has participated in many national and international group exhibitions. Her illustrations of Türkiye’s geophytes were exhibited at prestigious venues including BISCOT (Edinburgh, 2009), RHS (London, 2010), and Murabilia (Lucca, 2010), earning her silver medals at these events. She also contributed as a botanical illustrator to the Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile project at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Korkmaz’s contributions go beyond exhibitions; her scientific illustrations have been featured in esteemed academic journals such as the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Turkish Journal of Botany, Nordic Journal of Botany, and Phytologia Balcanica. She currently serves as the Art Editor for the Illustrated Flora of Turkey project.

Her work has supported numerous books and research projects, including the publication of the book Scientific Biological Illustration. Korkmaz has been featured in interviews and documentaries on platforms such as TRT Belgesel, TRT Okul, TRT Anadolu, and AnadoluJet Magazine, where she spoke on the practice and significance of scientific botanical art.