Whirling Dervish

Wood - Cedar.

Height - 19” (48cm)

Finish - Linseed oil.

Price - Sold

This recently-completed sculpture was created following a visit to Central Turkey,  where my daughter has lived periodically for a number of years.  This was my first visit to a predominantly Islamic country, and our travels  through the country left  a wealth of vivid impressions.  One of the most lasting  was that of the ancient, gentle spiritual movement of the Mevelvis, or Whirling Dervishes, who are  based in Konya in Central Anatolia.

The sculpture is carved from cedar, and is hollowed to minimise checking. The sculpture encapsulates the whirling movement  of the figure as a spiral form (one of my favourite sculptural themes)  which harmonises well with the flowing grain pattern of the cedar wood.
 
  A movie  (~350Kb) is available for this sculpture which gives a better three-dimensional impression.