Two distinguished Cypriot artists, renowned painter, Emin Çizenel and world-famous pianist, Rüya Taner, took part in a talk moderated by Oya Sibery at ARUCAD, on the occasion of April 15 World Art Day.
ARUCAD hosted painter Emin Çizenel and pianist Rüya Taner at the World Art Day “Art Talks”. The two distinguished artists who have achieved great success both at home and abroad discussed what it means to pursue art on the island, their respective childhoods and their experiences in the world of education.
In the interview, Rüya Taner talked about the support of her family and how she came from an artistic family owing to her father and grandfather. She added that a law similar to the one that was specially enacted in Turkey for the education abroad of artists like İdil Biret and Suna Kan by means of a state scholarship had also been enacted for herself and other talented children in Northern Cyprus. She explained that, by benefiting from the Law on Raising Gifted Children. she was able to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with a TRNC State Scholarship. Taner underlined that it was through this scholarship she had made such progress in her field. Taner, one of the leading concert pianists of Northern Cyprus and Turkey, stated that she had performed concerts in 90 countries so far.
Emin Çizenel, who has held many personal exhibitions both abroad and in his country, emphasised that creating a personal language in art was a difficult process and that the most difficult thing that prospective painters encountered after school was this beginning. He stated that he was against a heavy stylisticism, and that he tries to carry his painting to new areas by always being open to a new adventure in each of his exhibitions that he constructs under the main titles. In this way, he tries to keep his mind fresh and young, and emphasised the importance for himself of being able to be reconstructed and to be experimental. Stating that almost every piece of his work deals with a memory from his childhood, a political problem or a phenomenon related to the geography of Cyprus, Çizenel gave detailed information about his works and sources of inspiration with the images he shared with the audience. Çizenel, who said that he was asked to open a workshop in Istanbul after his graduation, emphasised that this geography was the source of his nourishment, as it was a place based on a multi-layered past and a place where a painful destiny is predetermined, but that he was using a choice that establishes an artist well.
Çizenel stated that art production in Cyprus and its intellectual dimension have a very short history, but the current situation should not be underestimated, and that the audience on the island has also come a long way. Çizenel said, “Cyprus is an island, it is far from the world’s art centres. We now live in a global world. There is now an audience in Cyprus who can cope with even pioneering exhibitions.”
Stating that institutions such as the Atatürk Art Centre (AKM) were unable to attain functionality, not due to the lack of artists and artistic activities, but because of a lack of teamwork and management, Çizenel also conveyed that there were good developments in the context of private entrepreneurship in Cyprus. Çizenel said, “From this point of view, ARUCAD has emerged as a very valuable project. Likewise, Art Rooms performs wonderfully as a gallery. Both developments” are extremely important for the art scene and future in Cyprus.”
The interview held at the ARUCAD Conference Hall can also be watched free of charge on the University’s YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn channels.
