Burhan Uygur was born in Tirebolu in 1940. Between 1961-69 he studied painting under Nurullah Berk and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu at Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts. In 1970 he attended the Salzburg Summer Academy, where he worked with Corneille (1922-2010). He was awarded the special jury prize at Society of Contemporary Painters Young Artist of the Year awards in 1968, a prize and honourable mentions at the Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture Open-air Exhibition in 1976, the Sedat Simavi Foundation Visual Arts Prize in 1978, and second prize at the 2nd International Asian-European Biennale in 1988.