By Heidi Trautmann

For many years now I have been following the Youth Art competitions in North Cyprus and some of the winners I meet today as hard working artists in many different sections of the creative and artistic world, also teaching today the younger generation. On such occasions as a youth competition one can observe some change in styles, in expression and one can observe what occupies their young minds. Art as profession is not the easiest way to earn one’s living and it is to encourage those who have a strong potential and the talent to go ahead as the arts are an indispensable tool in society.

This year’s competition had altogether 73 entries by 21 artists and 16 young artists were finally chosen with 24 paintings to exhibit at the Atatürk Cultural Centre as is the custom. The jury members were three very competent and admired artists: Gönen Atakol – Ruzen Atakan and Aşık Mene. Three achievement awards were given to Celal Atikler, Dicle Özlüses and Mehmet Sariler plus one worth of mention award to Ahmet Erman Karagöz.

The achievement awards were prize money of TL 1500 and a plaquette.

The other young artists found worthy of having their art works displayed were Ayça Akarcan, Dicle, Direnç Betmezoğlu, Eda Gökçe, Evşen Emre, Hascan İleri, İpek Denizli Karagöz, Kemal Behcet Caymaz, Mehmet Sariler, Nermin Şaban, Rahme Manastırlı, Seher Meşe, Tünay Özyay, Zehra Çelik. 

All participants were presented to the audience and given a certificate of participation. For many it was not the first competition they took part in. The age groups were to be found in the birth years of the 1990s with two participants having reached the upper limit of 35 years.

It was a fine exhibition and many honoraries and university teachers were present to congratulate the young artists.  Personally I was a little disappointed at the low number of exponats. I know that we have some very fine budding young artists and I think that they should come forward and show their best works to be judged.

My philosophy in life is that we have been given senses to survive and to sharpen them we need the arts; we need them to understand life as such and to understand each other. It is not only for the artists to do so but for everybody getting ready for the adult life. Once a young student was asked by his teacher in what discipline he will one day work, and he answered: I want to enter the diplomatic service....and the teacher asked back: Why then study the arts? And the student said, especially in this profession you need to be creative.

PS: I don’t want to forget to mention the young musicians who played at the opening of the exhibition, you could hear from far away that it was all about youth, and they played very well. Do they have a name?