By Heidi Trautmann

Earth-Life-Woman. Mother Earth gives Life – we know that – and all three terms are inseparably connected, they are one unit. It is the title of Pembe Gaziler’s exhibition at the Eaved House in Nicosia which opened on October 15. We had missed her presence in the art scene for far too long. Welcome back, Pembe.

I conducted an interview with her in 2012 at a time when she led a most stressful and confusing life, three corner stones, on the one side her art which always has meant a lot to her – and to us - on the other sides the new project of ‘art therapy’ which was very important for her for her teaching in school, and finally tango, yes, tango.

During the day teaching art, at night teaching tango. She then said to me: I felt miserable to have to neglect my own art but the organisation of our life ate me up.” At the end of our interview I concluded: ‘There are some projects you start in life which tend to develop their own momentum; one just has to take care that they don’t overtake you.’

Her year of study at a very good art school in Barcelona has shown her the direction on the road she wanted to follow. Her work is thought provoking, symbolic, archaic. Nature in its deepest meaning and values is in the centre of it, extending to the meaning of woman and motherhood with all of them in balance. The close-up photos of nature images she took in Barcelona further explain her appreciation of nature.

Series of small art pieces where she combines nature with her hands’ work,  a display of  symbiosis between nature and mankind.

Series of thoughts about life, phases of life, they seem to tumble down but are held upright, somehow life always goes on. Here her work reminds me of old cultures in South America I have come across.

Another series of respect and love she shows with her small monuments of soil from places she has lived and which are part of her: Australia, Plataniskia, Barcelona  and more…

Small monuments of her thoughts and talks to the material she has formed and brought to life, and now, she says…”they speak to me”…… and they speak to us.

The exhibition can be visited until 22 October,  12.00 – 18.00 hrs