Leyla, Songul Girgin

"Leyla" is a sculpture about love - for nature, for humans, for life. Songül Girgin admires the outlines of natural landscapes, using their elements in her work. The void spaces in metal used by the artist symbolize how we let the world pass through ourselves, feel life and breathe.

The central element of the sculpture resembles a woman's silhouette. The idea of ​​the sculpture “Leyla” is based on the love story of Leyla and Majnun, a real historical fact. According to an old Persian legend, the young man Kais (later Majnun) was a simple bedouin and at the same time a poet. He fell in love with the girl Leyla from his own tribe, and in his poems he admired her beauty. When the young man came to the girl's father to ask for marriage, the father refused. With grief, Kais left his tribe and went to wander in the desert. Leyla was married to another man who brought her to Iraq, where she fell ill and died. Learning about the death of his beloved, Kais went mad, then he acquired the nickname Majnun, in translation a madman, and after a short time died in a desert.

The sculpture "Leyla" is not only a romantic love story, but also a musical instrument! The middle part of the sculpture is built according to the xylophone principle, the size and position of each detail is not accidental. The author's idea is that the sculpture can be perceived not only visually, but also by ear. Metal is a natural material, it has its own sounds, which you need to listen to and discover a new perspective of perception.