Bu çalışma sanat ile kültür ve din arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektedir. Bu ilişki modernleşme ve sekülerleşme süreçlerinin etkisiyle bir dönem zayıflamış gibi gözükse de son zamanlarda tekrar canlanmış gibidir. Her ikisinin de kültür ve toplumla ilişkisi oldukça güçlüdür. Zira sanat algısı ve sanat eserleri toplumsal bir bağlamda ortaya çıkar. Bu bakımdan sanatsız bir toplum düşünülemeyeceği gibi kültürün veya dinin olmadığı bir topluma da tarihte rastlanmamıştır. Sanat ve din arasındaki ilişkinin son derece zengin bir kültür olan Türk ve İslam kültürü içerisindeki canlı örneklerin üzerinden ele alınacağı bu çalışmada sanatsız din yorumlarının katı ve şiddet eğilimli bir görünüme bürüneceği dolayısıyla disfonksiyonel olacağı, din ile bağını koparmış sanatın da eksik kalacağı sayıltısından hareket edilmiştir. Bu bağlamda daha dinamik bir sanat ve din ilişkisinin kurulabilmesi için yeni bir yorum ve bakış açısına duyulan ihtiyacın vurgulanması amaçlanmıştır.

Art and religion are inseparable fields. Art is almost as old as man as well as religion. So, there is a mutual relationship between religion and art. Art without religion is dry and superficial, while religion without art is severed from the life, and it would be a stack of ethical principles, or dogmatism. Art has a religious aspect in all civilizations. In ancient Egypt, the Inca Empire, Ancient Greek and the ancient Indian civilization, art integrated into the religion or sacred. Gothic art has also religious motifs; though a civil and profane image, because clergy directed to this art. Turkish art also carries religious motifs, especially Islamic ones.Art is social, and has social character, because it is produced in the society. Art is itself social reality. Bourdieu says that the art perception forms in a sociological context, especially on the basis of culture. Culture is defined as complex whole including knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. All branches of art interact with culture. A culture in which artists and art have not sufficient importance, corrupts, as Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, said in 1923: A nation artless has lost one of its vital vessels. Due to the cultural differentiation, the different conceptions of art have emerged. For example, the oriental art differs from the western art. In philosophy of Turkish art, harmony and usage value are also essential as well as beauty and aesthetic. So, all sort of things used in everyday life (lace, embroidery, tents, bags, carpets, rugs, mats, cairn, tombstone and so on) are handicrafts and carry an artistic value. Ceramics, tile-work and pottery, jewelry, miniatures, calligraphy, marbling, ornament, rug and carpets could be grouped in a special category as “traditional Turkish-Islamic art”. Nowadays, they are very popular. Traditional Turkish motifs and designs are being used regularly in a wide variety of areas, such as decoration art, tiles, ceramic, glass and lighting products. Turkish-Islamic art is not only a means of pleasure, or for fun, but it is also functional. For example, calligraphy, marbling, ornament have complementary characteristics of both architecture and each other.Turkish and Islamic works of art which fed by Turkish culture and Islamic tradition have their own characteristics. However, Western influence is also seen in these works, especially in architecture since the 18th century. Along with modernization and technological developments, traces of digitalization and secularization are also encountered. Modern art in Turkey has aroused with westernization process of Turkish society in 19th century. The students went to the capitals of Europa, e.g., Paris, London, Vienna, Berlin, for education of art. The School of Fine Art (Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi) was found in 1883. The İstanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum opened in 1937. Through UNESCO, the exhibitions from abroad to Turkey has been introduced since the 1950s. The debate about the position of the modern Turkish art is still ongoing. Since the 2000s, The Istanbul Modern Art Museum, Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Pera Museum, santralistanbul and Project4L/Elgiz Contemporary Art Museum opened to the public visiting, by organizing local exhibitions, works of the world’s leading artists, and a series of events and educational programs have played an important role in the development of art and culture in Turkish society. Turkey has a rich culture of music. Turkish music consists of Turkish classical, Turkish folk music, Islamic mystic music, and military music. Many instruments have been used in Turkish music. Mehter founded in 1826, is a very popular band in Turkey. After the proclamation of the Republic, The Music Teachers Academy was opened in 1924, and the Ankara State Conservatory in 1936. Turkey has 39 conservatories in a number of universities and municipalities of big cities today.Recently, that some artists and musicians with secular, even socialist or atheist lifestyle later became religious, and sang the religious songs, has increased attention to religion. On the other hand, religious people are happy with and approve of what has happened, and they are going to the music concerts, and listening to music tracks fondly. While the socialist artists are becoming Islamized, the religious people are secularizing. Apparently, there is a dialectical relationship between religion and secularization in the context of art.