1
Erol Unal was born in Istanbul. While studying at Çanakkale High School between 1959-1960, he worked in local newspapers "Demokrat Çanakkale" in his spare time, and "Ufuk" in Bandırma High School between 1961-1964. He worked as a Bandırma correspondent for "Hür Vatan" and "Tercüman" newspapers. He participated in the congress of Balıkesir Provincial Journalists Association held in Burhaniye.
2
He graduated from the Graphic Arts Department of Applied Fine Arts High School (Tatbiki Güzel Sanatlar Yüksek Okulu / Marmara University Fine Arts Faculty) in 1968. He majored in photography at school. The engravings he made in Prof Mustafa Aslıer's workshop were exhibited at the G'68 Engraving Exhibition at the Beyoğlu Turkish-German Center Art Gallery, and the photographs he took in the elective course were exhibited at the School of Applied Fine Arts at the endof the year. Between 1965-1968, he participated in miniature and illumination works once a week in Ord. Prof. Dr. Süheyl Ünver's workshop at Istanbul University, Cerrahpaşa Institute of Medical History. He was giving art news to "Vatan", "Ulus', 'Tanin' and Movement newspapers from Istanbul. He was a member of the Turkish Press-Work Union. While studying at the School of Applied Fine Arts, he opened an Advertising Bureau in Cağaloğlu with a few of his classmates in 1966.
3
After his military service, he worked at Rektaş Reklam between 1970-1971, Şark Reklam, between 1971-1975 at Ankara Advertising Agency, Artaş Reklam, and between 1975-1978 at Ajanstek Reklamcılık. He held various positions as graphic designer, art director and head of film-cinema department in the agencies he worked for. He prepared advertisement originals, made advertising campaigns, took advertisement photos, directed TV commercials, montages and dubbing.
4
After Ajanstek Reklamcılık, he rejected the offers of Manajans, Pars McCann and Turizm Reklam and founded Sibil Reklam in 1978 and Studio Sibil in 1987. In 1982, as the author of the work for Çiçek Pazarı, he presented the Concept Project, which he made with two of his friends (one of them being an architect) to the High Council of Monuments and passed it from the board.
5
From 1991 on he has worked on advertising in Ukraine for 9 years: In 1991 Turkish Export Goods Fair in Kiev, in 1993 and 1994 New Faces competitions, Best Model of Ukraine competitions in Odessa (1994) in Dnepropetrovsk (1995) and in Kiev (1996). In 1994, he organized all the advertisement materials for Odessa’s 200’th foundation anniversary celebrations. In 1992, he attended the 70’th anniversary of Turkey-Ukraine friendship association panel as a speaker representing Turkish business men. In 1995, 96 he took place in Ukraine and USA Advertising Agencies meetings in Kerch as a manager of Turkish advertising Agency. During this period, he exported $278,409 worth printed advertisements to Ukraine. In 1995 he organized the signing of the sister city protocol between Odessa and Samsun city mayors in Turkey together with his partner Robert Nassibulin in Ukraine.
6
After managing Sibil Reklam for 31 years, he closed the company in 2009 and settled in Bodrum. Two years later, he returned to Istanbul again. Since 2012, he has been the Communication Coordinator of Artpoint Design Agency for 9 years. For a while, he was the consultant of the Visual Arts Foundation (GORSAV) and the promotion activities of Marmara University Fine Arts Faculty to the press. In 2011, Dean of Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts Prof. Dr. Nazan Erkmen gave a plaque of gratitude for promoting the achievements of the institution to the society. He was a member of Bodrum Photography Club, Bodrum Art and Culture Association (BodrumArt). He participated in photography exhibitions of Bodrum Photography Club and Exlibris exhibitions of Bodrumart Bodrum Art and Culture Association and Istanbul Exlibris Academy Association. He serves on the Board of the Istanbul Exlibris Academy Association, writes Art News for his Facebook groups and for the Sanat-Magazin website. Artpoint Design Company was closed in 2021. He settled in Edremit, Akcay.
