Melis Buyruk
They are the carriers of disease and death, the greedy commensal and incorrigible marauders of food in our cellars. The uninvited lodgers of attics, basements, sewers, and alleys. They are like thoughts in flight, prowling around the labyrinths of our minds; like uncanny shadows that follow us discreetly. Our fugitive neighbours aboard ships, the confidants of our drawers that we dare not show anyone. Equipped with an incredibly sharp set of teeth, they can gnaw at bricks, wood, or lead; add a dash of courage, and they can even set free an elephant trapped in a net. They possess the most astonishing means of survival, resisting bravely the relentless attacks of mammals, birds and reptiles. Mice can be very intuitive when it comes to curiosity and coexisting in harmony.
————
The frog-headed Heqet is one of the fertility goddesses of ancient Egypt. Our first encounter with water is in the mother’s womb and Heqet is associated with the flooding of the Nile, the germination of crops and the final stages of birth. Popping their heads out of the water and leaping onto land, the amphibians begin their polyphonic chorus, ripping apart the heavy veil of darkness, seemingly celebrating life in water and on land with exuberant songs. There is a unique frog species that literally freezes during the winter; only to come back to life with the arrival of spring.
————
From above ground to down below, from existence to extinction, from light to dark, down holes; they are found in crevices, passages and thresholds. Timid and restless, dashing about as if late for an appointment. Though they have long been prey to jackals and wolves, snakes, eagles, and humans; they reproduce with the same haste in almost every corner of the earth. They then appear in fairy tales in the role of the weird and strange. Apparently, a little white rabbit sitting next to the tree of life on the moon had been embroidered on the dress of an 18th century Chinese royalty. Legend has it that, bathing in moonlight, rabbits sip the elixir of immortality from a goblet while whispering people the secrets of life, production and renewal.
————
- Frog, Porcelain, 18 K Gold Luster Decorated, 20 cm x 21 cm, 2021
- Rabbit, Porcelain, 18 K Gold Luster Decorated, 35 x 44 cm, 2021
- Mouse, Porcelain, 18 K Gold Luster Decorated, 31 x 22 cm 2021