The graduates of the Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design for the 2022-2023 Spring Semester received their diplomas at a ceremony held in the amphitheater outside the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts.

The graduation ceremony of the Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, which gave its 14th-term graduates was shown great interest and attended by deans, department heads, graduate students and their families.

At the opening speech of the ceremony, Near East University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design Prof. Erdal Aygenç, and on behalf of the graduates, the top graduate of the faculty, Halil Çobancık, expressed their feelings.

After the speeches, the graduates threw their caps with great enthusiasm and then opened the exhibition they organized at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design of the Near East University. In the exhibition, the works they produced throughout the year were exhibited to the participants.

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt: “Let your art act as a mirror reflecting the hopes, struggles and aspirations of the society.”
Starting his speech by referring to the words of Jacques Derrida and Friedrich Nietzsche, Near East University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt said, “Jacques Derrida, a philosopher known for his groundbreaking work in deconstruction, argues that meaning is not static or stable, but rather shaped by interpretation and context. This point of view also applies to fine arts.

“Each work of art is a multi-layered weave that invites different interpretations and subjective experiences,” said Prof. Dr. Kurt, and added; “The creative expression of artists has the power to challenge convention, question established norms, and invite audiences to engage with art in a highly personal and thought-provoking way.”

Stating that artists have an extraordinary ability to activate emotions and touch the depths of the human spirit, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt said, “Let your art serve as a mirror that reflects the hopes, struggles and aspirations of the society.”

Addressing the graduates, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt said, “Embrace the freedom that art gives you, celebrate the uniqueness of your voice and let your creativity provoke, inspire and ignite change.”

Prof. Erdal Aygenç: “Make your creativity continuous for a free and bright life!”
Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design Dean Prof. Erdal Aygenç said in his speech, “You have successfully run the four-year distance of a very long marathon, an art and design marathon, and you have gained the right to receive your diplomas. Remember, the run will continue”.

“Art education prepares the environments where students can reveal their creative powers; It is an education that aims to gain experience by doing and living. It is one of the aims of art education to prepare suitable programs for students to find the opportunity to express themselves, to direct them to conscious perception and to gain a habit of thinking based on observation, to think abstractly, to abstract, that is, to organize the relations of the object both within itself and with its environment on an intellectual plane. In other words, art education is creativity education”.

Prof. Erdal Aygenç addressed the graduates and said, “Make your creativity permanent for a free and bright life; Let the smell, breeze and sparkle from all kinds of art surround you and permeate your being from now on. How happy are we; We have successfully completed one stage of the art process with our brilliant friends who are involved in art, have tasted the magical joy of artistic production and we believe they will continue to do so. On behalf of all my friends, I wish you success in your future life.”

Halil Çobancık: “Even though we say goodbye to our faculty, teachers and friends, we know that this is a new beginning for all of us.”
Speaking on behalf of the graduate students, the top graduate of the faculty Halil Çobancık said, “On this path that we started four years ago, we have come to the end of a university life throughout which we have encountered both enjoyable and challenging experiences.”

Halil Çobancık, who said, “Even though we say goodbye to our faculty, teachers and friends, we know that this is a new beginning for all of us”, and thanked on behalf of all graduates to the teachers and families who provided every support and love throughout their education life.