In the ancient conception of the universe, three fundamental levels were important: the underworld, the earth, and the sky. The cosmic pillar connecting these three levels is the Tree of Life. The tree, especially the symbolism of the Tree of Life, appears in almost all societies. Accepted by many ancient civilizations, the Tree of Life also appears in the holy books of today's most widespread heavenly religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

Humankind has attempted to solve natural events and problems it could not cope with through objects it believed to have magical powers, thus thinking it could dominate nature. This is where science and art intersect with magic.

The tradition of tying cloth to certain trees in many regions of Anatolia has its origins in the ancient Shamanistic beliefs of Northern and Central Asia.

The wishing tree is usually a single tree standing alone on a visible hilltop. It is a short tree so that visitors can easily tie their wishes to it. Wish trees, which are spread throughout the geography and have almost no difference in their appearance, have deeply affected me since my early youth. Regardless of religion, the idea of conveying desires to a power believed to exist through nature, coming entirely from the heart, has always fascinated me. The colorfulness of the wishing trees, their visual festivity, their being laden with hope and goodness, their magic, the fact that they are created with a shared belief, and many other characteristics have affected me. These trees are no longer just trees; each is a cultural symbol created collectively.

Establishing communication with nature through magic and enchantment; the fact that magic is the origin of science and art has been one of my most important motivations.

Wishing Trees - 13

200 × 160 cm,

Mixed media on canvas,

Fabric pouches containing handwritten wishes

This work brings together hundreds of colorful wishes, each handwritten by a different person and sewn into small fabric pouches. Every pouch contains a real and anonymous desire.

The anonymity is essential. What matters is not who wrote the wish, but the sincerity behind it. While collecting them, I witnessed the quiet hope in people’s eyes as they handed me folded pieces of paper. That moment became the emotional core of the work.

Layer by layer, the canvas transforms into a contemporary wish tree, not with branches, but with accumulated voices. The surface grows dense, vibrant, and alive, carrying traces of belief, longing, and expectation.

Among the multitude, a single gesture remains.

The work reflects a simple and enduring human impulse: to hope, to believe, and to entrust one’s wishes to something beyond oneself. Hope — perhaps the last thing to disappear.

Wedding dress-2

150 x 120 cm,

Mixed media on canvas,

This work is composed of more than a thousand fragments of wedding dresses. I collected each piece from bridal ateliers, with one specific condition: the dress had to have been worn by a bride who had married in it. In that sense, the work is formed from the dresses of women who have “fulfilled their destiny.”

Technically, the wedding dress fragments are mounted approximately one centimeter in front of the canvas. This subtle elevation enhances the relief effect and creates a heightened sense of depth.

The central void is shaped like the stone of a diamond ring, evoking the image of a wedding band. At the same time, the form suggests birth, femininity, and the threshold of new beginnings.

This oval opening reveals a sky-like space at its center. I intended it to evoke love, the feeling of being lifted off the ground, leaving one’s nest, freedom, and the realization of one’s desires.