In the capital of Turkey, Ankara, the Ministry of Culture of Russia, with the assistance of the Russian House in Turkey, implemented a complex of cultural and educational events dedicated to the 225th anniversary of the birth of A.S. Pushkin. The cultural activities took place at the International Exhibition and Fair of Contemporary Art "Art-Ankara," the honorable guest of this year is the Russian Federation.

A special space was given for Russian artists. Russian gallery owners exhibited a large number of talented artists from Moscow, Kazan, Samara, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, and others.

Among all the artists, Valeria Ocean's paintings made a great impression on me. Both her abstract and realistic works were presented at the exhibition. I was surprised this artist lives in Antalya, Turkey, and all the presented works were inspired by the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Her abstractions gave the impression of a raging sea crashing against rocks. The viewer stands at the very top of the cliff, trying to protect yourself from the wind, and looks down, mesmerized by the power of nature. Her abstractions evoke thoughts of the transience of life and the insignificance of each individual's problems in this vast and raging world. Her realistic works, on the other hand, evoke calmness and joy. The sun's rays played so vividly and brightly on the surface of the water that one involuntarily squinted. And the deep and noble green color of the water harmonized well with these bright yellow highlights.

There was also another painting that made a great impression on me. Valeria told me she painted it at sunset on the beach in Antalya when the sun had already set behind the mountains, but it was still light around. In my opinion, the state of the water is really easy to trace in this painting because the water looks very deep, soft, and almost thick.

Turkey is a country between two seas, so marine paintings look very significant and majestic in the context of this country. Ankara Art fair involves artists from different regions of Turkey, including marine artists, as well as other countries, so ArtAnkara is rightfully considered not only a unifying but also an integrating event that opens up new perspectives for the country's art market.

10.04.2023