visual arts Artists Find a New Home on the North Shore I ui kan Yildiz Turkan Yildiz is an accomplished painter who developed her lifelong passion for art as a child growing up in the Turkish city of Unge. She graduated from the department of art and painting at Gazi University in 1989 and promptly launched the series of European exhibitions that established Yildiz as a professional artist. Her art has been shown in Switzerland, France. Holland, and Germany. She has also received recognition in Turkey where her paintings are collected by some of the country's leading citizens, including the Turkish prime minister. In addition to producing her own work, Yildiz taught art at Gazi University and managed her own gallery in Ankara. Yildiz's paintings arc created entirely from her imagination, and she is particularly inspired by images of women and animals. Women, she believes, hold unique power, and she tries to reflect this sense of feminine strength and passion in many of her paintings. She produces almost all of her work at night. This is partly the result of the punishing teaching schedule she maintained in Turkey, but it is also because Yildiz believes in the power of night. "At night everything is quiet and clean," she says. "You can feel better in your heart and bring from your heart onto the painting." Yildiz came to Canada three years ago so that her husband could pursue his career as an aeronautics engineer. Although her work is highly regarded in Europe, Yildiz has been rejected by many galleries in Vancouver; some curators have refused to even look at her portfolio, telling her that her paintings are not marketable because she is not an established artist. Despite these setbacks. Yildiz enjoys living in Canada. She is determined to continue her painting: the beauty of North Vancouver's natural surroundings have inspired her to use bright colours and have infused her work with a rich, romantic quality. A new mother. Yildiz has begun to incorporate scenes of family life into her work. Turkan Yildiz will be featured on the Arts Alive television show this February. Please refer to the inside back cover for further information. by Dianne Mackay T he North Shore contains a treasure-lrove of talented artists, many of whom have only recently arrived in Canada. Coming from diverse ethnic backgrounds, immigrant artists often face a bewildering array of challenges -- from language barriers to cultural differences -- in their quest for artistic recognition. With the help of local organizations like the North Vancouver Community Arts Council and the North Shore Arts Commission, some of these artists are finally beginning to find a voice in the community. Arts Alive profiles four artists seeking to develop and promote their creative talents on the North Shore. Tudor Serban Tudor Serban is an acclaimed Romanian sculptor who has designed monuments for cities throughout Eastern Europe. Along with his artistic achievements, Serban has worked as an instructor at the University of Transylvania and as a stage designer at the Sica Alexandrescu Theatre in Brasov. A woman at night, oil on canvas, by Turkan Yildiz