Fundraising Show for Turkish Syrian Earthquake

Recently, i had the opportunity to do a performance at NTU to help raise funds for the Turkish Syrian Earthquake. The devastation of that earthquake destroyed many lives and homes. It was heart wrenching to learn that families perished as a whole overnight and that there was nothing they could do but come to the realisation that their families will not be the same anymore.

The event was held at NTU Hall 12 with other performers together with the Singapore Red Cross Youth NTU Chapter. I was invited by my friend Burak, a Turkish student studying for his postgraduate in computer science at NTU. He's a wonderful person and when he asked me to be a part of this initiative, I immediately said yes.

I prepared several art pieces for the show and had a few that showcased the beauty and culture of Turkiye. There was one piece which depicted the whirling dervishes of Turkiye, which is an ancient Sufi dance in Islam where men clad in white, whirl and spin in a meditative trance for a continuous period of time. They don a hat made from camel’s hair (called a sikke) represents a tombstone of the ego, while the white skirt (called a tenure) represents the shroud of their ego. The goal is to achieve a state of Sufism, which gives them inner power and peace to connect with the world without materialism and relationships. One said, “watching this in real life was quite the surreal experience”.

This was a recreation of one of Garip Ay’s artwork, whom I have been admiring for many years. The composition, colour and perspective of the artwork is so beautifully done and well executed. My version is not the best, but I wanted to re-create it to showcase during the show so that more people can appreciate this artwork.

Garip Ay Whirling Dervishes

All in all, the show was extremely enjoyable as I could feel the audience’s engagement and focus on every artwork that I made. Although I may only be an artist, but the fact that my work is able to contribute to this fundraising effort is extremely meaningful as the roots of my water marbling practice stems from the fascinating art of Tukish Ebru art.

The campaign ended with a success, hitting the target goal of SGD 20,000. To all who have contributed to this fund, thank you.