Trump Art Gallery, located at Trump Mall in Istanbul's Mecidiyeköy neighborhood, has opened its doors for a group exhibition called “Kybele,” focusing on the different characteristics of women, on the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Day. The exhibition, featuring different depictions of women by 25 painters, began on March 1. Curated by Kenan Bahadır Derre, it will remain open until March 31.
In the matriarchal culture that prevailed in prehistoric ages, women were identified with the soil in terms of fertility. Women were said to emulate soil. This is why the Earth is sometimes referred to as “Mother Earth."
In the Hittite and Phrygian era in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic ages, a woman who embodied life like soil was crowned as the Mother Goddess, the greatest one of all the gods. The Mother Goddess, also known as Kybele, was considered the mother of all gods and goddesses. Kybele also symbolizes abundance and fertility. Mother Goddess figures found in excavations in many settlements, especially Çatalhöyük, point to a matriarchal lifestyle.
It is noteworthy that women are represented with images of fertility. They are mentioned with elements such as water and trees that ensure the continuity of life, and they have been depicted as important characters throughout history.
The group exhibition “Kybele” will feature the works of 25 painters to emphasize this concept. Among the participant artists are Aslı Ekim, Aylin Örücü, Büşra Ürer, Çiğdem Boztaş, Dilara Çakal, Erdi Korkmaz, Esen Murat Güler, Flaneurbabel, Gizem Altun, Gökhan Gümülcine, İrem Hakyemez, Mehmet Babat, Meltem Karakuyu, Murat Turan, Nazlı Işık, Olca Düzgün, Özlem Gedizlioğlu, Seren Ceren Asyalı, Sonia Ruskov, Suna Doğruyol, Suna Tüfekçibaşı, Sümeyye Aydemir, Şinasi Göktürkler, Turan Büyükkahraman and Ümit Gündoğ.
