Nejad Melih Devrim (1923–1995) was a Turkish painter born in Istanbul. The son of renowned artist Fahrelnisa Zeid and writer İzzet Melih Devrim, he completed his secondary education at Galatasaray High School. In 1942, he entered the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts, spending part of his academic years as a student of Léopold Lévy. During this time, his interest in Arabic script and abstract Islamic art developed. In 1946, he moved to Paris after winning a scholarship and worked on the stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral until 1950. He also studied the mosaics of churches from the Byzantine period in Ravenna. Devrim held his first exhibition in Paris in 1947 and participated in the Paris School exhibition in 1952, revealing a shift towards black and white techniques after his 1951 trip to Spain. In October 1952, he founded the October Salon group, influenced by his interest in geometric art. However, he eventually distanced himself from the group, citing a deviation from its principles. His travels to New York in 1956 influenced his work, incorporating elements of contemporary American architecture. Devrim created illustrations for Tristan Tzara's "Le Temps Naissant" in 1955 and Paul Éluard's "Sens de Tous Les Instants" in 1960. His artistic approach shifted towards Abstract Expressionism after 1960, and his international travels between 1965-1968 softened his painting style. Embracing colorism in his later years, he developed a unique and distinctive artistic style within Abstract Expressionism. In the early 1990s, Devrim settled in Poland, where he spent the last years of his life. He passed away in Nowy Sacz, Poland, in 1995.
