Erol Anar, who is a writer, artist, journalist, and human rights activist. He is former deputy secretary general of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (Ankara). He is member of Amnesty International (London) and the Committee Protect Journalists (New York). He is author of the 9 books which are on human rights, live, love and novel, essays. He participated in many conferences and training programs around the world.

Erol Anar, trained as an artist at 19 Mayis and Istanbul Universities in Turkey. Mr. Anar has worked as a journalist, translator, and political cartoonist. His watercolors, drawings and cartoons have been exhibited in galleries in the United States, Turkey, England, Norway, Germany, France, and Holland. His most recent showing was in Washington, D.C. at an exhibit co-sponsored by Human Rights Access (HRX) and the Westminster Presbyterian Church. Erol's work has earned recognition from the International PenCenter, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression.

Erol Anar's collection of cartoons, watercolors, and oil pastel drawings focus attention on the plight of the individual in isolation and conflict. The subject matter deals with the harsh realities of oppression yet celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. His work demonstrates the power of the pen and the brush over forces that would otherwise silence truth and creativity. Erol's work is thought-provoking and provides a platform for the discussion of complex issues evoked by the eternal quest for human rights, justice, and the basic liberty of free speech and expression.

"For me, the process of making art engages the mind, the eye, the hand, and the heart. The artist holds the conscience of society. I have lived under a repressive, racist government, and my art must by necessity express those realities. The censorhship that limits and confines artistic freedom destroys the very nature of art and acts in contradiction to the most basic premise of human rights,

freedom, and dignity. Therefore, I do not regard the process of making art as a superficial activity. Aesthetics rest at the very core

of our being. Art is infinite."