Words From the Curator:

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The letter "Y" might be a good abstraction of our fruitful cooperation:
The representatives of three cultures well rooted into antiquity; spawning across the Americas, Europe and Asia have come together. The result is a visual feast presented here: the "Tree of Life" exhibition.
 

The story started when I arranged a commission by Kathrina Rupit for the Municipality of Izmir, for a large mural in October 2021.

The project was enriched by an accompanying photographer, Mr. Jim Fuller (Dirty Dublin) by documentation of the process. Right after completion of the Izmir mural, the duo travelled to Antalya for another mural, and Mr. Fuller continued to capture Kathrina working throughout this exquisite Mediterranean holiday resort.

Although rather diverse by geography and history, the three cultures of Ireland, Turkey and Mexico have traditions and symbols that are common, just like the concept and symbolism of "Tree of Life". Its iconography is quite powerful, symbolising the forces of nature in perfect harmony.
The Celts believed that trees were the ancestors of human beings and the mythology also points to qualities like wisdom, strength and longevity in "Cránn Bethadh". To the Maya, "ya`axche" connects the three layers of the universe; the roots represent the underworld, the branches reach to the heavens, and the trunk is the ‘life’ where souls travel between the two. "Hayat Ağacı" in Anatolian culture takes its source from nomadic
Asian traditions and mythology; the roots once again represent the underworld, the trunk and lower branches rising to the sky and the top branches referring to the light & heavens.

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Evidence of the three mythological concepts are brought to life in each country; the oak tree in Ireland, ‘La Ceiba’ in Mexico and the olive tree in Turkey. The Tree of Life As has played a central role in these three cultures, with the image well-represented in textiles, architecture and ornaments throughout history. It is not surprising that we still see it in our daily lives.
We have had a great time since the conception of the project.
We have met a lot of wonderful people along the way, got to know each other much better along with our respective cultures. I hope all that light, laughter, joy, the deep blue of the Mediterranean, solidarity, pleasure and friendship reflects here, and you take a bit of that brilliance with you.

Attila Güllü