By Heidi Trautmann

As part of the festivities to celebrate the establishment of the TRNC Turkish Cypriot artists have contributed some art works on request of the Environment and Culture Ministry for the yearly exhibition at the Atatürk Cultural Centre in Nicosia.

24 artists, the oldest being born in 1945, the youngest in 1991, have shown some impressing works, ranging from abstract painting, figure painting and drawing, graphic and digital art, lino cuts,  paper art and art photography etc. Many of my art friends have in the meantime crossed many borders to international recognition and others whom I have followed over the years, some having established their own style and others experimenting in all directions.

Remarkable is that the older generation have over the years turned to minimal and/or more abstract art forms while the younger generation, here especially the very young ones are going strong in figurative painting, at least to judge from the past exhibitions I have seen.

The artists were,  in the order of the alphabet

Ahmet Erman Karagöz, Batu Gündal, Bülent Salderay, Devrim Tayanç Malyalizade, Emel Samioğlu, Eser Keçeci, Gamze Anil, Gökçe Şekeroğlu, Gönen Atakol, Gürkan Gökaşan, Hikmet Uluçam, Inci Kansu, Ipek Denizli Karagöz, Ismet Tatar, Kemal Behçet Caymaz, Mehmet Sariler, Mustafa Öztunç, Rahme Manastırlı, Salih Mustafa Çizel, Selma Gürani, Serkan Ilseven, Şenol Özdevrim, Ülviye Karabaşak, Yücel Yazgın.

The exhibition was opened by HE Mustafa Akıncı who is known for his support and understanding for the arts. He and his wife Meral took their time to talk to the artists. In his wake followed many ministers and officials to celebrate the occasion.

Special Note: A conversation was overheard from among them that the Cultural Centre is planned to be renovated….at the beginning of the evening I and some artists have discussed the same that, among others, for example the area around the Cultural Centre,  should be changed into a nice well-kept park with benches for the visitors to give the place more importance as a Cultural Centre and National Library in the true sense of the word.

An hour later we were asked to be seated for the concert and alas I must say, most of the visitors present at the exhibition had left, so the auditorium was not even half full. The same had happened last year but this year the president and his wife and the representatives of the Cultural Department were present. Out of respect for the musicians who give their time to this special occasion, one should really attend.

The musical presentation started with the LTB Nefesli Trio – Ali Suyolcu (Fagot) Çağın Dostel (Oboe) Münevver Sakar (flute). Then we heard the mezzo soprano Dilşad Asadova with Maka Borschahvili on the piano. Next was Rauf Kasimov on the piano with two pieces – one of which he has composed himself – followed by our little star Suna Alsancak, 8 years, on the piano – she has just won again first prize in Spain – and finally the baritone Evren Karagöz with Irada Melikova on the piano.

It was a precious evening, let us hope that the future will bring the long expected peace and secure coexistence to the divided island, I thought when I drove home.