In this issue of Artademics, we feature an interview with Assoc. Prof. Mine Okur, an artist-academic whose work seamlessly bridges graphic design, printmaking, and mixed techniques. Drawing from hand-made illustrations, digital processes, and diverse printing methods, Okur’s artistic practice reflects a thoughtful dialogue between tradition and contemporary visual expression.
In this interview, she shares insights into her creative process, sources of inspiration ranging from mythology to historical imagery, and her holistic approach to depicting living beings. She also reflects on the relationship between technique and material, the works that have most influenced her artistic journey, and the ways in which her academic identity continues to shape her artistic production.
We see that your background in graphic design now intersects with printmaking and mixed techniques. How does this production approach—combining hand drawings with digital media—open up a creative space for you?
My background in graphic design provides me with a strong foundation in organizing visual language, layered thinking, and constructing compositions. When working with printmaking and mixed techniques, this background allows me to manage the process effectively while also opening up a broad space during the finalization stage.
When I combine hand drawings with digital media, I have the opportunity to explore the permeability between the analog and the digital. A bridge is formed between the line that emerges directly from the hand and the multiple intervention possibilities offered by digital tools. This gives me the freedom to explore different aesthetic possibilities without being confined to a single method.
Ultimately, my production process transforms into a dynamic creative field that brings together the structured discipline of design and the chance-based, experimental, and surprise-oriented nature of printmaking.
What aesthetic, cultural, or historical sources influence you most in your artistic production?
The sources that influence me most in my artistic production are both the cultural texture of the geography I live in and my personal relationship with historical imagery. Creating new narratives on top of works that were produced centuries ago through storytelling is a highly enjoyable process for me.
From a cultural perspective, the rich collection of motifs, the diversity of colors, and especially the fact that this geography has hosted many civilizations are among the most important sources I draw upon in my production. In particular, the printmaking works I prepared for the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, focusing on Cyprus’s Archaic period and beyond, aim to offer an interaction in which viewers can blend their imagination with the narratives I attempt to develop within my own imaginative world, establish a connection with the artwork, and generate new stories.
What aesthetic, cultural, or historical sources influence you most in your artistic production?
From a cultural perspective, the rich collection of motifs, the diversity of colors, and especially the fact that this geography has hosted many civilizations are among the most important sources I draw upon in my production. In particular, the printmaking works I prepared for the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, focusing on Cyprus’s Archaic period and beyond, aim to offer an interaction in which viewers can blend their imagination with the narratives I attempt to develop within my own imaginative world, establish a connection with the artwork, and generate new stories.
We see a wide variety of techniques and surfaces in your work—such as serigraphy and digital printing. What determines your choice of technique and material? In which environment do you feel most free?
When working with serigraphy, the rhythm of repetition and layers captures my interest, while digital printing offers a faster and more immediate field of expression.
In my production process, the selection of technique and material is shaped less by a predefined preference and more by the needs of the work itself.
Serigraphy is a powerful narrative space for me because it allows for working with repetition and layers. It is particularly ideal when dealing with themes such as rhythm, repetition, and memory. The saturation of colors and the physical structure of the printing surface—its texture—also become an integral part of the technique.
Digital printing, which I create through mixed techniques and technological tools, strengthens diversity by enabling faster, instantaneous, and intuitive interventions.
Among the works you have produced so far, is there a piece or series that holds a special place for you? Could you share the impact this work has had on you?
There are several works among those I have produced so far that hold a special place for me, standing out both in terms of their production process and the impact they left on me.
In this series, I sought to create a sense of ‘overlapping times’ through mixed images, layers, and semi-transparent surfaces. Influenced by my dreams, these works were produced through the combined use of both digital and hand-drawing techniques.
In what ways does your identity as an academic contribute to your artistic production? As an artist-academic, what is the most important advice you would like to pass on to both your students and young artists?
My identity as an academic contributes to my production process particularly in terms of continuity. It enables me to conduct research, interact with different disciplines, and stay up to date.
First and foremost, I recommend that students consciously and passionately choose the education they pursue. In an era where access to information is so easy, observing and internalizing developments and variations in the field of art will distinguish their work.
What truly matters is becoming curious, patient, questioning, researching, learning, and sensitive individuals. Developing an intellectual foundation alongside technical competence will contribute significantly to their originality,
About Mine Okur
In 2007, she began working as a Design Coordinator at the Innovation Center of Near East University. Until 2013, she continued her academic activities as a lecturer in the Department of Visual Communication and Design at the Faculty of Communication, Near East University.
In 2017, she was awarded her PhD degree with a dissertation titled “Cyprus-Themed Video Game Design.” She has taken part in various national and international symposia and workshops, participated in numerous group exhibitions, and held two solo exhibitions.
Mine Okur is currently a faculty member in the Department of Graphic Design at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Near East University.