LONDON.- Bonhams the international fine art auction house announced this week that it would be holding its first sale of Modern and Contemporary Turkish Art in London on 5th April 2011. With this in mind the company has appointed an agent, Erdem Sontur, in Turkey this week.

The company which operates in 27 countries on four continents sees its expansion into the modern Turkish art market as part of its expanding global reach.

Bonhams Turkey will offer valuations and advice as well as sourcing works of art for sale in London. The main thrust of the company’s business in Turkey will be focussed on Modern and Contemporary Turkish Art. Both these sectors have seen rapid growth of interest in the last ten years with sales in London, Paris, Dubai, New York and Los Angeles all attracting buyers of Turkish art, mainly expatriate and home based Turks but increasingly non Turkish buyers as well.

Representing Bonhams in Turkey is Erdem Sontur, a graduate of Istanbul University with a degree in Art History and Archaeology. He has a longstanding connection with the Trigg Foundation for Byzantine and Ottoman Studies which organises cultural courses in Turkey. He has a keen interest in Modern and Contemporary Turkish Art.

He comments: “I am looking forward to promoting Turkish Art worldwide through this exciting new association with Bonhams which has now set up a base in my native city of Istanbul.”

Erdem will be assisted by Mehreen Rizvi, and Kristina Sanne. A press conference to introduce Bonhams local team and Bonhams senior management to the Turkish press will take place at a date to be announced.

The move marks Bonhams ongoing plans for global growth in the world’s major centres for auctioning art and reinforces its position as one of the world’s leading auctioneers.

Matthew Girling, Bonhams European Chairman, who is spearheading this new venture says: “Appointing an agent in Turkey and holding a first Modern Turkish Art Sale marks the crossing of another art market frontier in Bonhams global development. It is part of a strategic decision to increase our international presence in this dynamic part of the world. Turkey is an incredibly exciting environment to be doing business in at the moment and we see it as an essential ingredient of the art market in the long term future.”

“Part of the new reality of the global art market has been the dramatic emergence in the last decade of new buyers for Contemporary Turkish, Art. Until recently these buyers have been mostly drawn to more traditional national art. However, the new generation of collectors, dealers and artists are increasingly influenced by broader trends from both the traditional and contemporary art world.”

Bonhams has a long and distinguished record of holding fine sales of Turkish and Islamic Art at the company’s Headquarters, 101 New Bond Street in London.