Mertim Gokalp came to Australia in 2009. Within a few year after his migration, he has been selected as a finalist in all the top portrait exhibitions here: the Archibald Prize; the Doug Moran Portrait Prize; and the Black Swan Art Prize. These accomplishments in short time allowed him to receive a distinguished talent visa by the Australian Government for him to live and work in Australia. He recently became an Australian citizen. Mertim works have hung in many group shows in Australia and overseas like the SVA-New York, Contemporary Istanbul , Hong Kong Art Fair. He recently won Hunters Hill Art Prize and Kennedy Portrait Prize 2017. His works have been published in various magazines and newspapers, and have found their place in collections across the world.