Int'l painting festival starts in Trabzon with female artists from 20 countries

The eighth International Painting Festival has begun in the Black Sea province of Trabzon with the participation of 40 female artists from 20 different countries under the auspices of Femin&Art, a female artist collective.

Alongside Turkey, women from Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Japan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and many more countries attended the festival and gathered in a central park, where ?ükran Üst, chairman of Femin&Art, gave a potent speech about the importance of art, putting forth art not only as the accumulation of human history, but also as the outcome of being humane. 

Emphasizing the importance of art as a place where passion for a better life is laid out, Üst said: ?This is why the notion of peace has remained a phenomenon for contemporary art and artist to contemplate. In a world where people are being subjected to psychological condescension through war, oblivion, poverty and ostracization, we can?t think of artists as being indifferent toward the issues.? 

Stating that an artist can use her pen and brush against the weapons of war, Üst said that was the time when the ?secret power exclusive to human beings can turn into justice.?

?Artists are longing for a world, where the social, economic and political reasons that foster wars are vanished. By using the magical language of art we can spread peace in the world,? said Üst, reinforcing the belief that a peace not buttressed by freedom and equality was a deficient peace. 

Following the speeches, Azerbaijani artist Nevai Metin conducted a portrait workshop in the park. 

Artists who participated at the festival will hold more painting workshops and paint pictures in Trabzon, Rize, Tbilisi and many more cities in the region. The festival will...