By inaugurating a fortnight long exhibition of Turkish Contemporary Paintings here on Saturday, Ambassador Kemal Gur launched the celebrations marking the conversion of Turkey from a Sultanate to a Republic by Kemal Attaturk 81 years ago.
The celebrations also coincide with the completion of new Turkish Embassy in the Diplomatic Enclave that will be inaugurated when Ambassador Gur gives Republic Day grand reception on October 11 next.
The exhibits are accompanied by eight of the 11 modern painters whose work has been on the circuit for quite sometime making rounds of Far East, Africa and Europe. Kosovo-born Dr Kiymet Genckan who has bagged a number of awards during her illustrious career leads the team.
Other artists - all except one females - accompanying their works are Ayse Ilkey Ersoy, Ziya Gurel, Meral Onay, Yurdgul Pakalin, Nevin Zahal Tollu, Meltem Yakin and Hulya Yalcin.
To a mix crowd of locals as well as diplomats, the exhibits looked close to the works of some well-known Pakistanis. In the works of Nevin Tollu and also Hulya Yalcin, there is a reflection early Sadeqain while Yurdagul Pakalin reminds one of Ahmed Pervaiz and Rafi Peerzada. But their selection of colours, the technique and style is different, the message and compositions are very modern.
Ziya Gurel's creation, a large oil work on canvas projecting the confusion and anarchy the world is going through. It is called "Sound and Chaos". A more appropriate title could have been "protest" but it will make it a political painting than a reflection of our current social and civic status.
Pakalin's composition, again oil on canvas in unicolour, looks close to a flower in full bloom but it has same tensions in the outlines that is also seen in the works of Ahmed Pervaiz while he was working in London. Ahmed projected his tensions through a variety of sharp pastel colours.
Cicek Bozkus and her famous husband, Professor Ibrahim Bozkus specialise in human figures in depicted in various state of activity - like modelling to singing a chorus. There is a mark contrast in their line work. While the wife has very subtle and delicate outlines and choice of colours, the professor has been easy with the use of his brush and sombre colours. This is the impression one gets from the few pieces that the exhibition has.
In his inaugural remarks, Ambassador Kemal Gur spoke of the long history of fine arts his country had adding that it got a more dynamic, fruitful and contemporary nature in the republic era.
He hoped that the current exhibition would serve as a step forward in "future co-operation and joint activities in the field of culture" and thus bring the Pakistan and Turkey further closer.
An exhibition due to open on October 4 will be of Turkish cartoons besides some other functions planned for the celebrations.