Due to the spread of the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19) worldwide, people’s long-term survival under quarantine did not prevent artists from producing art, and they continue to share their artworks with art lovers to support the fight against coronavirus.

In the information given by the Press and Public Relations Directorate of Near East University, faculty member and artist of Near East University Institute of Educational Sciences Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan İlseven stated that the reflection of covid-19 in the artworks as gloom and green is very natural, and with the figurative touches, he tried to eliminate the unfamiliar abstract forms to make spatial understandings, and to use color and light spots, especially with the contrary deep lines.

Serkan İlseven; “A life called stable life was not possible in the artists’ life”
Artist Serkan İlseven; “It is not possible for an artist to stay idle no matter what art he produces. There is no life like a stable life in the life of the artists. Because of the restrictions caused by the coronavirus I spend most of my days at home, like other artists, and continued to produce art in my quarantine days. I was impressed by the process caused by the epidemic. I always spent time in my home and workshop.”

“This period will have a big impact on our artworks”
Until now, I have mainly dealt with social events in my artworks, and I have built my latest exhibitions on the theme of immigration. For years I had written and drawn the place of war, migration and effects of migration on the socio-economic structure. During this period, I depicted the problems of the Turkish Cypriot people who were stuck in the ghettos, their camp life and their displacement. These days, we have to depict the days through which the social life has been hampered by in a narrow area with a dejavu. It seems that this period will have a huge impact on our works. It is very natural that the distressed process to be reflected in my works as gloom and green, but figurative touches that will minimize this gloom and the forms that are not familiar in my works have been minimized such as the spontaneous insights, color and light spots, but especially I tried to remove them with contrary deep lines.”

Who is Serkan İlseven?
Artist Serkan İlseven was born on 17 February 1966 in Paphos, Cyprus. After completing his primary education in Paphos and his secondary education in Lapta, he graduated from Izmir Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography. From 1990 to 2009, he worked as a teacher and administrator in various high schools affiliated to the TRNC Ministry of National Education. Between 2009-2019, he served as the Director of Administrative, Financial, Technical and Parliamentary Services at the TRNC Republican Assembly. He is still working as a consultant for the TRNC Republican Assembly. In 2009, he completed his master’s degree in Physical Geography and in 2014 he completed his PhD in Environmental Education and Management at Near East University, Institute of Educational Sciences. In 2019, he received the degree of Associate Professor. İlseven lectures at Near East University, Atatürk Faculty of Education, Department of Geography Teaching, Environmental Education and Management, and has published books on Cyprus Geography, Forest and Park Trees of Northern Cyprus, Human Economic and Political Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus Orchids, Principles of Vegetation Geography. Tens of his articles have been published in international journals. At the beginning of the 1980s, he started painting by taking painting lessons from painter Alper Özkemal. He had 8 solo exhibitions and hundreds of group exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. Serkan İlseven, whose artworks take place in private collections both in his homeland, Turkey and abroad, won the XIII. State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition Award and in 2000 the PGM Award. He participated in TURKSOY Painters Meeting (Mersin) in 2002 and in International Art Days (Izmir) in 2004 to represent TRNC. Serkan İlseven is married to Gülcan ilseven and has two daughters, Polen and Dolin.