"Art Specialization Workshops Exhibition" met with art lovers

The group exhibition , organized with the support of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities ( YTB ), consists of works by 112 students from 38 countries within the scope of the International Student Academy Art Specialization Workshops Project.

Project coordinator Melek Ebrar Akpınar told an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter that İTM was established in 2008 under the Ensar Foundation, saying, "Our goal is to provide university students with an education that aligns with their academic lives. We offer our participants training in three different disciplines: traditional, visual, and digital arts. We organize workshops in various art forms within İTM, and participants who wish can receive training there for up to four to five years."

Akpınar, stating that they operate both nationally and internationally, continued as follows:

Our exhibition, which opened today, is an activity of the International Student Academy. The International Student Academy Art Specialization Workshop is a 9th project we've implemented with the support of YTB, and it's growing. This year, we provided four to six months of training in a total of 10 areas, and 220 students from 52 countries attended. Our exhibition features the work of our students who continue these activities and are receiving both basic and advanced training.

Akpınar stated that the main purpose of the exhibition is to showcase the outcomes of the students' education, saying, "We want our students to see how far they've come thanks to their education. Furthermore, the works they've created are their first, and we value their exhibition and want to support them. Our exhibition today features 283 works by 112 students from 38 countries. Our students will return home with the education they received here, carrying with them the traditions and customs of Türkiye. We want to show them what they took with them and what they gained when they returned home."

Akpınar emphasized that they received positive feedback regarding the activities they carried out and noted the following:

We are very excited about how our students feel about this place. The common sentiment that almost all of our students share is, "When I came to Türkiye, I felt like home because I was in a place where I could rest my soul." ITM is a place where a university student can escape the intensity of their classes, escape the pressure of being in a different country, and unwind. Furthermore, our students can learn something new from the workshops they attend. They tell us, "You are like family to us. Thank you so much for your interest. Even if we go back to our country, we will never forget you, and you will always be in our minds." It's incredibly valuable to us that they share this sentiment about Türkiye.

As part of the project, students from many countries, including Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, China, Brazil, Algeria, Ethiopia, Palestine, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Colombia, Madagascar, Maldives, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Tatarstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam and Greece, received training in 12 workshops opened in 10 art branches and strengthened their ties with art.

The Art Specialization Workshops Exhibition, comprised of student work, features 283 works by 112 students from 38 countries. Original works produced in workshops such as "Photography Workshop," "Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art Workshop," "Calligraphy Workshop," "Children's Book Illustration Workshop," "Basic Painting Workshop," "Marbling Workshop," "Watercolor Workshop," "Calligraphy Workshop," and "Illumination Workshop" are featured.

The exhibition, which was opened by Şener Ağaç, Chairman of the Ensar Foundation Board of Trustees, Fatih Hacıbektaşoğlu, YTB Istanbul Office General Coordinator, calligrapher Abdullah Gün, illuminator Şeyma Çınar, painter Ahmet Öğreten, marbling artist Eda Özbekkangay, calligraphy artist Onur Yıldırımer, painter Ahmet Demir, and artist Tuba Genç, can be visited until July 19.