Graduates of the Plastic Arts Department at Arkın University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD) for the 2024-2025 Fall Semester have presented their personal exhibitions, created as part of their graduation projects, to art enthusiasts in Nicosia and Kyrenia. The solo exhibitions of Şirin Gazi, Ani Baranowski, and Sevgi Songur opened in three different venues across the two cities. Addressing diverse themes such as escaping societal norms, the paradox of existence, and the relationship between appetite and desire, these exhibitions reflect the graduates’ artistic production processes and individual research.
The graduation projects of ARUCAD’s Plastic Arts graduates were evaluated by a jury of expert academics and artists. This year’s jury included ARUCAD Plastic Arts Department Head Asst. Prof. Dr. Raif Dimililer, Plastic Arts faculty member Prof. Dr. Turan Aksoy, and artist Gökhan Okur. Following the jury evaluations, the graduates presented their personal exhibitions to the public in Nicosia and Kyrenia. Şirin Gazi’s exhibition, “Escape Fantasy,” is hosted at Kyrenia Public Library, Ani Baranowski’s “Paradoxical Origins of Existence” at Atelier 5|2 in Nicosia, and Sevgi Songur’s “Appetite and Desire” at Atatürk Cultural Center, Nicosia.
Şirin Gazi – “Escape Fantasy”
February 1-7, 2025
Kyrenia Public Library
Şirin Gazi explores resistance to societal norms and the search for individual escape in her works, drawing inspiration from Edward Hopper’s themes of solitude and Francis Bacon’s spatial concepts. Presenting a fluid world dominated by black, white, and grey tones, she invites viewers to question the boundaries of escaping norms.
Ani Baranowski – “Paradoxical Origins of Existence”
February 1-6, 2025
Atelier 512, Nicosia
Ani Baranowski delves into subconscious fears, humanity’s dependence on technology, and its alienation from nature. Using a fusion of biomechanical imagery and organic-mechanical elements, she takes inspiration from HR Giger’s surrealist universe, leading viewers on an introspective journey.
Sevgi Songur – “Appetite and Desire”
February 3-5, 2025
Atatürk Cultural Center, Nicosia
In “Appetite and Desire,” Sevgi Songur explores the connection between appetite, desire, solitude, and inner emptiness. Through the use of dining objects and negative space, she questions emotional deficiency, reinterpreting the still life tradition through various dimensions and techniques.
The graduate exhibitions can be visited at the respective venues in Kyrenia and Nicosia on the specified dates.