Kocaeli students open recycling-based art exhibition

Students from the Gonca Barrier-Free Living Center, a project by the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, have opened an art exhibition titled ‘Small Hands, Big Dreams’ at the Körfez Aqua Continents Aquarium.

Using recycled materials collected from the İzmit Gulf, the students created 20 paintings that combine marine life with their own imaginations. The exhibition aims to promote the social participation of individuals with special needs.

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın attended the opening, where he was greeted by a musical group formed by the students. During the event, the Mayor toured the exhibition, discussed the artworks with the creators, and emphasized the importance of the center in helping individuals with special needs integrate into urban life.