For Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Hastürk, art has never been merely a profession or a creative pursuit—it is a way of understanding life. As an artist, academic, curator, and art advisor, he has devoted decades to exploring the relationship between artistic expression, cultural memory, and society. His paintings reflect not only personal emotions but also the landscapes, people, and collective experiences of Cyprus, creating visual narratives that preserve the spirit of a place and its time.
In this edition of Artademics, Mustafa Hastürk shares his thoughts on why art begins with sensitivity, why he still believes that “art heals,” and how creativity, technology, and cultural responsibility continue to shape the future of artistic expression.
You have successfully combined your roles as an artist, academic, and art advisor for many years. Looking back today, what do you believe has been the strongest motivation behind your artistic journey?
Artistic creation has been an instinctive human impulse since the earliest days of humanity. I naturally approach everything with an aesthetic and questioning perspective. I believe this is part of both my character and my nature. Admittedly, it can also be exhausting—a trait that often becomes both a gift and a burden.
“The most essential quality of being involved in art is sensitivity.”
To me, the most essential quality of being involved in art is sensitivity. I feel deeply connected to everything around me.
Wherever injustice or suffering exists in the world, I cannot remain indifferent. I believe this sensitivity has shaped both the way I express myself through art and the responsibilities I have undertaken throughout my artistic life.
In a previous interview, you said, “Art heals.” Years later, do you still believe this? In your view, how can art heal both individuals and society?
For me, the phrase “Art heals” is not simply a statement—it is a belief and an intention.
My life has been shaped by fighting for the things I believe in, and above all, by hope. There have been moments when I questioned whether hope itself is truly something positive. It is, after all, one of life’s fundamental questions. Yet I have come to believe that what truly defines us is our ability to hold on to life, continue our struggle, and remain hopeful despite every difficulty.
In that sense, “Art heals” is, above all, an act of hope.
Through my paintings, I try to transform the negative realities of life into artistic expression. In doing so, I find healing for my own spirit, while also hoping to create a positive impact on those who are open to experiencing art.
I sincerely believe that if humanity is ever to overcome the many forms of evil that exist in the world, art must be embraced as a fundamental human need—not only by individuals, but by the societies they create. Once we reach that level of awareness, we will begin to see a world that is healthier, kinder, and more beautiful. While no society has achieved this ideal completely, I believe the countries of Northwestern Europe have come closest to demonstrating its possibilities.
“If one day my paintings help people understand the life, people, and landscapes of my homeland, then they will have fulfilled their purpose.”
Your works often reflect the collective memory, landscapes, and people of Cyprus. What responsibility do you think art carries in preserving cultural memory and passing it on to future generations?
There is a saying that “Art contains life.” When artists create, they rarely think about the future role their work may one day play. Art is, above all, the expression of accumulated experiences and emotions that have been shaped throughout one’s life.
When an artist creates sincerely and honestly, drawing upon intellectual and emotional depth, the result has the potential to become a genuine work of art. And when that happens, it inevitably becomes part of society’s collective memory.
At the same time, I believe this responsibility extends beyond my own country. Ultimately, it is a responsibility toward humanity itself.
As an academic, you have mentored many young artists. What qualities do you consider most important to nurture in your students? Beyond technical skill, what defines a truly good artist?
Above all, I want my students to become good people—individuals who are compassionate, socially responsible, and genuinely committed to contributing to their communities.
Alongside technical ability, I encourage them to be creative, inquisitive, and never satisfied with where they currently stand artistically. Learning to question, to keep searching, and to make this a lifelong habit is essential.
Hard work and experience are just as important in art as they are in any other field. Art requires self-confidence, and genuine confidence comes naturally through dedication, persistence, and passionate practice.
To me, a true artist is someone who is not only skilled, but also a good and compassionate human being—someone who loves their society, remains sensitive to both local and universal issues, and creates not for personal gain, but because creating itself is an essential part of who they are.
“Rather than rejecting new technologies, artists should learn how to benefit from them.”
Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are transforming artistic production. How do you view this transformation? Do you see technology as a tool that enriches artistic expression, or as the beginning of a new era that changes the very nature of art?
It is difficult to predict the full consequences of technological developments before we truly experience them. As with many major changes throughout history, only time will reveal their real impact.
Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly have a profound influence on our lives. Since art inevitably reflects life itself, it will also be deeply affected. The real question is how.
To answer this, I often look back to another revolutionary invention: the camera. When photography first emerged, many believed it would bring painting to an end. Some artists resisted it, while others embraced the new possibilities it offered. Rather than competing with photography, they explored what painting could achieve that a camera could not. As a result, painting entered one of the most innovative and creative periods in its history.
I believe artificial intelligence will have a similar impact. Instead of rejecting it, artists should learn how to engage with it, benefit from it, and discover new possibilities for creative expression.
If you could leave just one message to future generations through your art, what would it be?
I lived, and I left something behind for the future. Now it is your turn. Create something of your own—and make it even better.
About Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Hastürk
Alongside his academic career at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, he has undertaken numerous leadership roles in the cultural sector, serving as Director of the Department of Culture, Art Advisor to the Presidency of the Assembly of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and currently Art Advisor to Dr. Suat Günsel, Founding Rector of Near East University. He has also curated major exhibitions and played an active role in shaping the contemporary visual arts landscape of Cyprus.
His artistic practice explores cultural memory, identity, music, nature, and the human condition, while his paintings have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Cyprus and abroad. In recognition of his lifelong contribution to the visual arts, he received the Lifetime Service to Art Award presented by the Department of Culture in 2026.
The Language of Mustafa Hastürk’s Paintings
For Mustafa Hastürk, painting is far more than a visual practice—it is a way of understanding existence. His works emerge from an ongoing dialogue between emotion, memory, music, and lived experience. Rather than depicting the visible world alone, they seek to reveal the invisible rhythms that shape human life.
Music as Visual Rhythm
Music occupies a central place in Hastürk’s artistic philosophy. Just as harmony and rhythm shape musical expression, colour, light, line, and composition become the language through which painting communicates emotion.
Throughout the history of modern art, particularly with the emergence of abstraction, music and painting have maintained a profound dialogue. Hastürk sees this relationship not merely as inspiration, but as an essential creative force that transforms rhythm into visual expression.
Searching for Order within Chaos
At the heart of Mustafa Hastürk’s paintings lies a continuous search for balance amid chaos.
Rather than presenting fixed answers, his works explore the tension between chaos and harmony, movement and stillness, the individual and the universe. Through layers of colour and expressive forms, he transforms personal reflection into universal experience.
“With the awareness of my own existence within the vastness of the universe, I try to understand the apparent disorder that exists within a greater order. My artistic journey has always been a search for tranquillity, balance, and harmony emerging from chaos.”
Painting as Self-Reflection
Although many viewers seek a single narrative in his paintings, Hastürk believes that art resists simple explanations.
For him, every work becomes a meeting point where memories, emotions, questions, hopes, and personal experiences converge. His paintings do not illustrate a story—they embody a way of experiencing life itself.
“People often ask me what my paintings are about. Most of the time, I want to answer: everything. My inner struggles, my sorrows, my happiness, my desires, my excitement, and my journey of confronting myself all find their place in my paintings.”
