Mustafa Seven

Mustafa Seven is a Turkish photojournalist and street photographer. His work captures intimate, candid scenes of everyday moments in Istanbul and around the world.

Life and career

Seven was born in Sivas, Turkey in 1974. He began his career as a photojournalist at Sabah in 1995, later working for Hürriyet, Gazete Pazar, Milliyet and Akşam, where he was the photo editor.
After nearly two decades in photojournalism, Seven shifted his focus to street photography. In 2006, he founded GİF, where he undertook advertising and independent photography projects. He held his first solo exhibition called Tek in 2013, which was first presented at Nişantaşı Gallery Eksen in Istanbul from 7 to 28 March 2013. In 2014, he participated in the ComeSeeTurkey project, capturing culturally and geographically significant imagery across the country.
Seven launched the Instagram project "Faces of the Earth" in 2015 to share anonymous portraits from around the globe. Same year, he was appointed as the jury president for the Antalya-themed photography competition organized for the 133rd anniversary of the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2016, Seven's Faces of the Earth exhibition, held at Art Loft Fototrek - Olympus Gallery in Istanbul, presented portraits independent of places. In November 2016, he was featured among 20 photographers in "Ustaca Fotoğraflar", a book presenting 220 images by Turkey’s photography masters. Published by Fotoiz, the project aimed to preserve and celebrate the legacy of these artists and their contributions to Turkish visual culture.
He is an Honorary Member of Street Photography, France.

Jury work and competitions

Seven has frequently served on photography juries in Turkey and abroad. His roles include multiple appointments to the Turkish Photojournalists Association's "Press Photos of the Year" competition, as well as juries for events such as Photomaraton Istanbul, the International Golden Saffron Photography Competition, the national contest Life in the Days of COVID-19. He has also contributed to cultural initiatives like the National Photo Safari in Ağrıand outreach programmes with Akdeniz University students.
Seven was a member of the international selection committee for UNESCO's Silk Roads Youth Research Grant Programme in both 2023 and 2024.

Educational work and affiliations

He conducts street and mobile photography workshops and collaborates with universities and cultural institutions. He is a member of professional bodies such as the Turkish Photojournalists Association, International Federation of Journalists, Turkish Journalists' Union, and FOTON Association.

Exhibitions

2013 TEK, Galeri Eksen Istanbul
2014 TEK, Bursa Fotograf Festivali, Cemal Nadir Güler Sanat Galerisi
2015 Faces of The Earth Congresium Ankara
2016 Faces of the Earth, Antalya Fotograf Festivali
2016 Story of İstanbul, Tomtom Galeri
2016 Faces of The Earth ArtLoft Fototrek Olympus Galeri, Istanbul
2017 Artriangle 3 Şehrin Hikayesi 42 Maslak Art Space Galeri, Istanbul
2017 Kapalıçarşı Yüzleri, Kapalıçarşı, Istanbul
2018 Faces of The Earth Edeltraud Deutsche Sprache und Kultur, Munich
2019 Story Of Istanbul, CNR Kitap Fuarı, Istanbul
2019 Ben istersem, İBB Taksim Sanat Galerisi, Istanbul
2021 Göz Göze, Bursa Fotograf Festivali, Bursa
2022 İstanbul Kültür Yolu Festivali, Taksim Meydanı
2024 Portraits on the Trail of Anatolia, Azerbaijan Cultural Center, Paris