Nowadays, the snake is often burdened with negative comments. To describe someone's, gossiping nature, coldness, or evilness, the phrase 'like a snake' is used. However, if the mystery behind the snake were known, perhaps this could start being used as a positive compliment. In many cultures around the world, snakes are recognized as symbols of wisdom and healing. Frequently appearing in medical symbols, snakes are associated with health and healing through symbols such as the staff of Hippocrates. Since ancient times, snakes have been seen as guardians of knowledge and mystery, with being both deadly and a source of healing. In ancient civilizations like Sumer and Egypt, snakes wrapped around the tree of life represent youth and the continuity of life. In Greek mythology, the snake, symbolizing the god of medicine Asclepius, emphasizes the doctors' patience and ability to keep secrets. In Islamic culture and Far Eastern philosophy, the snake also appears as a symbol of the balance between death and life, representing healing and knowledge. In stories from Islamic countries, Lokman Hekim, in his excitement, drops the formula he discovered for immortality while crossing a bridge, and before he can retrieve it, a snake consumes it. From then on, the snake represents vitality and health. In Turkish medical history, the snake figure also holds an important place. The research of Prof. Dr. Süheyl Ünver, especially the discovery of a double-snake staff symbol in Çankırı Darüşşifa, has been adopted as a symbol of Turkish medicine. In 1937, this symbol was officially adopted by the Turkish Medical Association, and in 1956, it was internationally recognized by the World Medical Association.
So, what led to the breakdown of the relationship between humans and snakes?
This collection is like a journey to make peace with the snakes again, to explore its magical world. The information and messages I encountered while working on that were very interesting. Representing rebirth and transformation, snakes regularly shed their skins, which is seen as a metaphor for the transition from death to life after. The image of the snake eating its tail, the Ouroboros, represents concepts such as infinity, wholeness, and continual renewal, suggesting the universe is in a continuous cycle, between life and death. It also represents self-sufficiency and inner transformation. Moreover, the mythological story of the powerful female figures, Shahmaran and Medusa, who captivates people every day with her head turned upside down in the Cistern Basilica in Istanbul, holds a significant place in my cultural heritage of Anatolian mythology and the strong bridge they have built between civilizations inspired me. Without waking them from their deep sleep, I whispered in their ears.