HEYKEL SANATINDA KÖK İMGESİ: AİDİYET VE DÖNÜŞÜMÜN DÖNGÜSEL ANLATISI: THE ROOT IMAGE IN SCULPTURE: A CIRCULAR NARRATIVE OF BELONGING AND TRANSFORMATION

Sibel ARMAĞAN BENEK

doi:10.5281/zenodo.18067143

Authors

Sibel ARMAĞAN BENEK Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversity https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2704-0582

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18067143

Keywords:

Root image, Sculpture, Belonging and transformation

Abstract

This article examines how the root image gains meaning in sculpture within the context of the concepts of belonging and transformation. Beyond being a biological structure that ensures the continuity of life in the plant world, the root is considered a powerful metaphor in human thought, associated with origin, memory, identity, and existential continuity. In this study, the root image is evaluated through the symbolic link established between the cyclical transformation processes in nature and the human experience of existence. In this context, the understanding of transformation in Western and Eastern thought is linked to the Sufi tradition and cultural narratives, revealing that the root is not a fixed indicator of the past, but a constantly reconstructed realm of existence. In the application section of this article, the sculptural works of contemporary artist Javier Pérez are examined; the metaphorical relationship that the root image establishes with the concepts of body, nature, and time in the artist’s works is analyzed. Pérez’s sculptural language, developed through the themes of cyclicality and rebirth, demonstrates how the root transforms into a universal narrative on the axis of belonging and transformation. In conclusion, the study reveals that the root image in sculpture is not a static idea of origin, but rather a dynamic narrative element representing transformation and continuity.

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THE ROOT IMAGE IN SCULPTURE: A CIRCULAR NARRATIVE OF BELONGING AND TRANSFORMATION