Balkan Naci İslimyeli was born in 1947 in Adapazarı, Turkey. In 1972, he graduated with distinction from the Istanbul State School of Applied and Fine Arts (now Marmara University). In 1975, he studied lithography in Salzburg on an Austrian government scholarship. Further scholarships led him to the Florence Academy of Fine Arts in 1980/81 and New York University's School of Fine Arts in 1990/91. In 1993, Balkan Naci İslimyeli was appointed professor at Marmara University. In addition to his work as a cinematic art director, he currently serves as head of the painting studio at Bilgi University and gives classes at Işık University, both in Istanbul.

Balkan Naci İslimyeli has contributed to numerous group exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. He has staged more than 40 solo exhibitions, including Deli Gömleği / Strait Jacket at SEHNAP (New York 1990), Zamansız (Timeless) at Siyah Beyaz Gallery (Ankara 2001), and Kara Tahta / Black Board at AlanIstanbul (2011). He is the recipient of many national and international awards.

Balkan Naci İslimyeli has prepared five art books. His poems and short stories have been published in such magazines as Dost, Yazı, Argos, and Kitaplık.