I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it.
This sentence comes from Einstein. When I read this I recognize that the moon is very varied. Some mystery, some magic.
When you look at ‘Istanbul’s panorama with new moon’, the new moon affects you spatially and emotionally. It makes you look again and recognize this is indeed ‘Istanbul’s new moon’. In eastern culture the new moon has many symbolic meanings like abundance, richness and new beginnings.
It represents water, pearls, feelings and mother, all as elements. In these legends the main actor is the moon. It isn’t the sun. Therefore, poems and legends are filled with a lot of moon metaphors. In nomadic society the moon god‘s name was Istar and she represented love and war.
Consequently, since the time of nomadic societies, people have thanked and celebrated the birth of every new moon. The influence of the moon is a recurring feature in many different cultures and belief systems.
As our natural cycles and quiet witness the moon is always the first and next expression of the cosmos and underlying unity-in-diversity that reflects Divine Unity.
I wanted to create ‘Istanbul’s new moon’ with different colors and light with glass, because glass refracts the light, creating new colors and reactions. In my glass design of the new moon I drew ornamental tulips in filigree. Tulips symbolize a short life, brevity and delicacy. My idea is to integrate two contrasting images, tulips and the new moon. Although tulips have a short life, continuity is guaranteed every day by the appearance of the moon. The moon effects the world, nature, life and culture and these relationships are neverending and constant.
This glass collection is produced using kiln casting techniques at the non-profit foundation The Glass Furnace / Istanbul.
