Anadolu Agency helps Turkish artist realize dream

By Efsun Balaban Yilmaz

IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - A disabled painter has always dreamed of being in nature where she could paint forest, seas and bays.

That’s because Meryem Duzgun, 56, is bound to wheelchair because of an inflammatory illness at an early age. She cannot leave her home because of the disability but took an interest in painting art.

Although she does not think of herself as a disabled person, Kaya said the daily obstacles condemn her to the house.

Anadolu Agency made Kaya's dream come true of a venture through the hills with a sea view. It was two hours from her home in Izmir where she drew the scenic surroundings for the first time.

“Going out of home is really difficult for me. Painting without any boundary is just a dream. I had really missed nature. I was always dreaming about nature while painting,” said Kaya, who teaches children in her neighborhood how to paint. "I draw the places where I cannot go and see. I reflected what I felt to the canvas.”

“Now I can see the whole sea here. This gives me energy. Words are not enough to express my feelings. I completed my painting here in three hours and for the first time in a painting, there are feelings I cannot tell. A dream came true, that's the feeling in this picture,” she said.

*Writing by Burak Dag