Mahmut Celayir was born in 1951 in Bingöl, Turkey. From 1972 to 1976, he studied at the Istanbul State School of Applied and Fine Arts (now Marmara University). From 1976 to 1978, he worked as a graphic designer and stage designer for a television institute in Eskişehir and then as stage designer for the State Theatre in Istanbul until 1984. Mahmut Celayir left for Stuttgart, Germany, in 1986, where he lived and worked as an independent artist.

In addition to staging numerous exhibitions in Germany, France, and Italy, Mahmut Celayir recently participated in Contemporary Istanbul 2010. He frequently presents his works at C.A.M. Gallery in Istanbul, including such solo exhibitions as Pekerun – Traces Behind the Stones in 2009 and Bir Gezginin Öğleden Sonrası (An Afternoon of a Wanderer) in 2010, which was also shown at Spaziostudio in Milan in 2011. Mahmut Celayir's paintings are often reminiscent of his East Anatolian homeland, where he spends several months each year. He is currently based in Istanbul.