“Vefa,” the ceramic work by artist Assoc. Prof. Hüseyin Özçelik, faculty member of the Ceramics Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Hacettepe University, has been installed at the entrance of the rectorate building.
Dr. Özçelik tells the story of his work: “At the opening ceremony of the Doğramacı Building, the structure built by the Doğramacı family as a gift to the Beytepe campus of Hacettepe University, Prof. M. Cahit Güran, Rector of Hacettepe University, turned to me and said, ‘Hüseyin Hoca, let’s make two wall ceramics as examples of loyalty for service to our university. Let them be similar. Let’s install one of them in this building and the other in Bilkent University, in a place chosen by the Doğramacı family. The way they have supported our university will never be forgotten and will be remembered with loyalty.’ I gladly accepted this task, which would be very meaningful for both institutions.”
Over two months, Dr. Özçelik produced two separate works of circular form and integrity, with Earth as the main theme of the compositions. He named his works “Vefa-1 and Vefa-2,” in that they evoke continuity and integrity, unity and necessity, brotherhood and friendship. They represent the starry world and the power of science, education and technology. His work Vefa-2 will hang at the entrance of Hacettepe University Senate hall.
Dr. Özçelik briefly described Vefa-1: “It is a composition organized with a square form representing the mainland in the center of the circle and geometric forms representing the seas flowing around it. The figure at the top symbolizes a human being with arms outstretched and triple windows below him; the blue circular bands surrounding the mainland form from the right and left of the square plan symbolize the lives surrounded by light. With my feelings of loyalty, I tried to show that nature is an indispensable partner in human life through the spike form on the center left of my work. I tried to blend the fact that the voice of nature should always be heard, that it should be respected and that it is an integral part of our lives. I completed my work with the center circle held by two hands, reminding us that loyalty is a value we should always cherish.
It will be a great honor for me to have a place in the memories of Bilkent University and Hacettepe University, which have added great value to the science and art of our country.”
