Cypriot Artists Navigate Division and Unity in Post-Border Opening Era

Since the border crossings in Cyprus opened in 2003, artists from both the Greek and Turkish communities have been navigating intricate terrains. Based in Nicosia's Arab Ahmet Quarter, Turkish Cypriot painter Ashik Mene creates abstract pieces that delve into themes of memory and identity, engaging in bicommunal discussions in Pyla. Displaced during the Turkish invasion of 1974, he was born in Larnaca and produces works featuring soft shapes and symbolic motifs. Greek Cypriot artist Rinos Stephani, known for his agrarian-themed figure-in-landscape paintings, recently sold his work at Heliotropeion Gallery in Larnaca. Economic inequalities persist, with Greek Cypriot artists obtaining sponsorship while Turkish Cypriots encounter limitations. Loulli Michaelidou remarks on the uniformity in art, while Yiannis Toumazis points out emerging opportunities. For 29 years, artists have exhibited together and maintained online connections across the UN Buffer Zone that divides Nicosia.