Sevcan Cerkez Painting

In 2008 I visited North Cyprus for a workshop and an exhibition and I met Sevcan Cerkez, an amazing and very well-known sculptor in Cyprus, who was our host; I immediately I felt a strong vibrational connection with Sevcan and she became a very dear friend to me through all these years. Cyprus also made an impact on me, except for the language everything felt so familiar. Back in New York I made a couple of paintings inspired in Cyprus. I was thrilled to go back there after 15 years when I was invited to participate in another workshop and exhibition. This time I stayed at Sevcan`s house after the exhibit which was a wonderful experience. The life size sculptures around the house tricked my senses for moments made me think I saw real people instead of sculptures. Sevcan, Semra, (her twin sister who by the way is a great painter) and their family and friends made me feel so welcome, I felt so connected like half of me was Cypriot. The idea for this portrait started when Sevcan brought clay, and we started to make coffee cups with members of her family and a friend. When she opened the big plastic bag of clay and placed her hands on it, I could imagine the vibration going into the clay and giving life to it, through her hands. In my mind a painting was taking form. Sevcan`s sculptures are in many public places in Cyprus, her work is about Cyprus and its people. I wanted to represent this as a fire in the shape of the island coming from her heart, through her arms and hands, and once into the clay as red veins. Often when Sevcan is making the Turkish coffee, the coffee spills out of the pot, I was told this and it was funny to witness it myself. And to me it was a detail that it needed be included in the painting.

Painting:Oil on Wood Panel

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:24 W x 30 H x 1.5 D in

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