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Love the transition between the flesh tone and the black. Gold speckles on black also looks like a really interesting effect to try.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7j5cpQJmxE/

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We could use a male mannequin in reference to the founder of Istanbul, and the patriarchal civilisations that have ruled the city through history.
https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Ancient-Greek-Sculptures-Of-Men-Were-Made-With-Small-Penises/

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Black Star and Crescent on Gold Background

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Black Star and Crescent on Gold Background

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We could combine two symbols of Islam (Black and Star&Crescent) to create an interesting pattern on the mannequin and add texture. We could have gold paint and mix it with black moon and star glitters to create our own paint mix.
https://www.starrily.com/products/city-of-stars

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https://www.renewbeauty.co.uk/products/essence-glitter-star-struck

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In Greek mythology, Byzas (Ancient Greek: Βύζας, Býzas) was the eponymous founder of Byzantium (Ancient Greek: Βυζάντιον, Byzántion), the city later known as Constantinople and then Istanbul.
According to Greek mythology, Byzas was son of Poseidon and his mother, Keroessa, was the daughter of Io and Zeus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzas

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The first known name of the city is Byzantium (Greek: Βυζάντιον, Byzántion), the name given to it at its foundation by Megarean colonists around 660 BCE. The name is thought to be derived from a personal name, Byzas. Ancient Greek tradition refers to a legendary king of that name as the leader of the Greek colonists. Modern scholars have also hypothesized that the name of Byzas was of local Thracian or Illyrian origin and hence predated the Megarean settlement.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul#Toponymy

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The importance of Constantinople in the Ottoman world was also reflected by its Ottoman name 'Der Saadet' meaning the 'gate to Prosperity' in Ottoman.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul#Toponymy

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https://hative.com/star-nail-art/

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https://hative.com/star-nail-art/

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The art of mosaic was used heavily by Christians to portray and document important scenes in history. The mosaic section of our mannequin is inspired by the Christian heritage of Istanbul and how they use this to promote thier religious views and culture in the country.

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The star and crescent is an iconographic symbol used in various historical contexts, but is best known as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. It is often considered as a symbol of Islam by extension. It developed in the iconography of the Hellenistic period (4th–1st centuries BCE) in the Kingdom of Pontus, the Bosporan Kingdom and notably the city of Byzantium by the 2nd century BCE.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_and_crescent

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By the late Hellenistic or early Roman period (1st century BC), the star and crescent motif was associated to some degree with Byzantium; even though it became more widely used as the royal emblem of Mithradates VI Eupator (who for a time incorporated the city into his empire).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantium#Emblem

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The major flag of Muhammad, the Black Standard, was known as al-ʿUqāb "the Eagle"; it was pure black, without symbols or markings. Its name and the colour was derived from the flag of the Quraysh, one of the tribes of Arabia, whose flag was black with an eagle and was also known as "the Eagle".
The colour black is considered the colour of mourning in Western and Mediterranean countries; however, it is considered a colour of modesty in some Muslim cultures. It is often worn by Shi'ite Muslims, who mourn the death of Husayn ibn Ali, killed at the Battle of Karbala. It is the colour of the chador worn by devout Iranian Shi'ite women and of the cloaks worn by the Ayatollahs, the Shi'a clergy. In many Shi'a countries, a black turban is worn only by male sayids, men who descend from Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah and his son-in-law Ali.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_Islam#Colour

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Mosaics are a prominent aspect of Byzantine religious art and have endured through the years to become an integral part of the later Ottoman Islamic art.
https://www.ancient.eu/image/7970/deesis-mosaic/

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Turkish mosaic art is seen ornamenting decorative items, mostly lamps and chandeliers since the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman decorative arts channel alternative features such as flowers, geometric shapes and Islamic calligraphy. Turkish mosaic artworks are usually made with glass tiles using opaque colours, commonly shades of red.
https://blog.mozaico.com/mosaic-art-ethnic-designs/

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While researching the tree of life I thought it would be amazing to have the mosaiched part of the mannequin edging into the gold like tree branches. If we go ahead with the idea of having star and moon glitters in the gold, we could connect it with the legend of the tree of life reaching for the north star.
https://pixels.com/featured/tree-of-life-yggdrasil-gold-and-painted-texture-creativemotions.html

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Colours of Byzantine Orthodox Christianity

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Colours of Byzantine Orthodox Christianity

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The Byzantine Rite, which is used by all the member churches of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Byzantine Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine Rite, does not have a universal system of colours, with the service-books of the Byzantine tradition only specifying "light" or "dark" vestments in the service books. In the Greek tradition, maroon or burgundy are common for solemn feast days, and a wide variety of colours are used at other times, the most common of which are gold and white.
Slavic-use churches and others influenced by Western traditions have adopted a cycle of liturgical colours:
Gold, light blue, purple, red, green, black, white.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgical_colours

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This traditional Japanese art uses a precious metal – liquid gold, liquid silver or lacquer dusted with powdered gold – to bring together the pieces of a broken pottery item and at the same time enhance the breaks. The technique consists in joining fragments and giving them a new, more refined aspect. Every repaired piece is unique, because of the randomness with which ceramics shatters and the irregular patterns formed that are enhanced with the use of metals.
https://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/kintsugi

It would be really interesting if we could get liquid gold in between the mosaic tiles to join them together and bring out their vibrancy.

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“Mosaic Museum, Istanbul.” Tripadvisor, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293974-d307885-Reviews-Mosaic_Museum-Istanbul.html. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

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Byzantine Mosaics In Istanbul's Churches

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Byzantine Mosaics In Istanbul's Churches

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Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia, almost 1,500 years old and having survived through wars and destruction, is the most well-known and visited historical monument in Istanbul.
The emperor Leo VI the Wise is bowing down before Christ Pantocrator. In medallions: on the left of Christ, the Archangel Gabriel; on his right, Mary.

Engul, Serhat. “Priceless Byzantine Mosaics In Istanbul’s Churches.” Culture Trip, https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/articles/priceless-byzantine-mosaics-in-istanbuls-churches/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

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The base of the symmetrical mosaic panel is comprised of gold leafs and shows the Virgin Mary on a backless throne with the words meter and theou engraved on either side, which translates to ‘Mother of God’ or ‘God-Bearer.’

Engul, Serhat. “Priceless Byzantine Mosaics In Istanbul’s Churches.” Culture Trip, https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/articles/priceless-byzantine-mosaics-in-istanbuls-churches/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

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According to historians, this mosaic was originally made in honor of Zoë’s first marriage to Romanus III. When the emperor changed, the face of the man in the mosaic was scrapped and changed to Constantine’s face – a bit of an ancient Photoshop effect. It dates back to the 11th century.

Engul, Serhat. “Priceless Byzantine Mosaics In Istanbul’s Churches.” Culture Trip, https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/articles/priceless-byzantine-mosaics-in-istanbuls-churches/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

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Blue Mosque. https://istanbultourstudio.com/things-to-do/blue-mosque. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

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Turkey has a fascinating history with glass, and Istanbul in particular as it was the centre of glass making during the Ottoman era. https://www.corianderstainedglass.co.uk/2012/10/25/coriander-stained-glass-at-the-movies/

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https://bit.ly/3bainMm

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https://bit.ly/2S0tqAt

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Stained glass in Turkey has been used in palaces, mansions, libraries, pavilions and houses as well as, of course, in mosques.  It has been used since the Seljuk era with a technique called “revzen-i menkuş” which is different from our western method. https://www.corianderstainedglass.co.uk/2012/10/25/coriander-stained-glass-at-the-movies/

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Formerly a basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum, the Hagia Sophia is one of Turkey’s most well known landmarks.  It is particularly famous for its’ large dome, and lavishly mosaic covered interior.

It is one of the greatest surviving examples of the Byzantine era, with a vast interior and 40 arched windows lining the dome to allow light through.  This example shows the beautiful blues and greens used, with the central panels remaining clear.https://www.corianderstainedglass.co.uk/2012/10/25/coriander-stained-glass-at-the-movies/

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We chose a male mannequin to represent the founder of Istanbul (formerly the Byzantine empire), Byza. We felt a male form not only emulates Byza and the creation of Istanbul, but a strong sturdy figure being the backbone of the history and culture of Istanbul itself.

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We covered the mannequin completely in metallic gold spray paint to represent the wealth and status Istanbul holds.

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"Her vibrant abstract paintings are a synthesis of Islamic, Byzantine, Arab and Persian influences fused with European approaches to abstraction."
The artist also began experimenting with painting on turkey and chicken bones, which she later cast in polyester resin panels evocative of stained-glass windows. In the later years of her life she unexpectedly returned to figurative painting, creating stylised portraits of her friends and family.

https://bit.ly/39baAvV

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We loved how Zeid went to include different shapes and colours in an abstract way throughout all of her pieces. As well as liking the overall look of her art, we also felt like they looked very similar to mosaic tiles which is a big inspiration for our mannequin. Mosaic tiles are very popular throughout Istanbul and have contributed so much towards the history and art of the city. We personally feel that although Zeid hasn't used mosaics in her art they still are a big inspiration for her art.

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We decided that although the bottom of the mannequin is covered in mosaic, that we would take the technique of kintsugi to allow the gold to be visible through the cracks of the mosaic tile and represent a true decadence and luxury aspect to our mannequin that is important to the culture in Istanbul.

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It was an important aspect of our project to ensure our mannequin emulated the Greek statutes that are so prominent in Istanbul. Statues were built in Istanbul of important men to represent their power and status in society for doing influential things for the benefit of the country.  Because of this we felt the statues represent the most important  fundamental and historical features of Istanbul and should be shown through our mannequins. To do this we chose a male mannequin and used the gold paint to accurately represent the statues currently in Istanbul.

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Residents of Istanbul have never been known for hiding their wealth. From the days when Ottoman sultans would speed along the Bosporus in gold-leafed barges, crewed by hundreds of slaves, to today’s Porsches and Ferraris jamming the sclerotic streets of upmarket districts, life’s luxuries are very much there to be seen. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/fashion/09iht-luxmag11.html

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For centuries, artists and artisans have turned to gold leaf as a way to make their creations shimmer and shine. Evident in everything from ancient artifacts to modern masterpieces, the glistening gold accents can add an ethereal touch to any work of art.
In addition to offering a less expensive and more versatile alternative to solid gold, gold leaf is celebrated for its ability to accentuate colour and form through luminous details.

Gold leaf is gold that has been hammered into fine sheets. The process of pounding solid gold into a thin leaf is called goldbeating, and the act of using gold leaf to adorn a surface is called gilding.
https://mymodernmet.com/gold-leaf-art/

“Why Artists Use Gold Leaf and How You Can Make Your Own Ethereal Paintings.” My Modern Met, 1 Mar. 2018, https://mymodernmet.com/gold-leaf-art/.

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Istanbul is in the top 5 cities together with New York, London and Moscow. Fishermen's city Istanbul became the billionaire city. After 2001 crisis the amount of billionaires increased in Istanbul. With 36 billionaires, Istanbul is the 4th richest city in the world.

“Istanbul World Richest City.” Istanbul View, 10 Mar. 2008, https://www.istanbulview.com/world-richest-city/.

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We took inspiration from the rich blues and reds often used in Tapestries and mosaics in Istanbul

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Traditional richly coloured mosaics in Istanbul

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The extreme detail used in these mosaic style tiles inspires us to create an abstract whistle very considered and detailed mosaic design

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Mannequin Art - Using mosaic to cover the whole figure.

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Mannequin Art - Using mosaic to cover the whole figure.

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https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/226440520/tree-of-life-mosaic-female-mannequin

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We started our research by writing down everything we could think of about Istanbul.
We expanded on it through researching on our phones at the same time, eventually coming up with the idea of possibly representing the history of Istanbul through our mannequin. We want our mannequin to be a bit like an abstract tapestry showcasing how Istanbul has been conquered by various civilisations through the centuries.

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The mannequin is going to be spray-painted in gold to represent the wealth of Istanbul. We also thought of possibly adding the star and crescent symbol in black dotted on the torso to provide a connection with Islam.

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We want to incorporate the tree of life symbolism to the mannequin on the torso, as a connection between Christianity and Islam. The mosaics on the legs of the mannequin are in reference to Byzantine mosaic and stain glasses, while the star and crescent are Islamic symbols. The tree of life features in both religions, so we thought it would be a good way to showcase the transition between the two religions in Istanbul's history.

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As we go ahead with the project our idea keeps evolving, through trial and error we find new ways to achieve the final look we want for the mannequin.
One of these ways is through decoupage, we have come to realise that using mosaic pieces for the entirety of the mannequin may be too complicated for our skill level, and decoupage may offer an easier way to get the same result.
We are thinking of using the work of Fahrelnissa Zeid for the collage as she has inspired a lot of our concepts and she uses similar themes and colours to what we wanted for our mannequin. https://www.flickr.com/photos/funktified/5525780516

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https://twitter.com/gmcollectables/status/1176828251219681280/photo/3

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https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/556236924/child-mannequin-child-decoupage

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The World Tree or Tree of Life is a central symbol in Turkic mythology. According to the Altai Turks, human beings are descended from trees. According to the Yakuts, White Mother sits at the base of the Tree of Life, whose branches reach to the heavens where it is occupied by various creatures that have come to life there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkic_mythology#Symbols

Turkish people believed that there is a star at the middle of the sky and this star is North Star. Tree of life roots from the middle of the Earth and connects it to North Star. It symbolizes a gateway between the Earth and hereafter.
https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/hp3203-2018-03/tree-of-life/

The tree of life also appears as a motif in the legendary dream of the founder of the ottoman empire, Osman I: "He saw that a moon arose from the holy man's breast and came to sink in his own breast. A tree then sprouted from his navel and its shade compassed the world. Beneath this shade there were mountains, and streams flowed forth from the foot of each mountain. Some people drank from these running waters, others watered gardens, while yet others caused fountains to flow. When Osman awoke he told the story to the holy man, who said <<Osman, my son, congratulations, for God has given the imperial office to you and your descendants and my daughter Malhun shall be your wife.>>"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osman_I#Osman's_Dream

The tree of life is also often found on Turkish rugs known as kilims.
https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/hp3203-2018-03/tree-of-life/

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We used the technique of decoupage to produce is a very detailed and vibrant finish to specific sections of our mannequin. We printed  Zeid’s artwork to use on our mannequin as we feel her work represents the colours and culture of Istanbul as well as her originating from Istanbul.

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We chose three specific sections to decoupage so we can create multiple different patterns and textures next to eachother, covering the legs to give a contrasting and detailed effect. This splits the mannequin into sections so we can emulate the culture in different ways using different techniques which creates a more interesting dynamic to the mannequin

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We chose to paint the tree of life on the torso in red because it's the most prominent colour in Fahrelnissa Zeid's artwork and we want to recreate her paintings onto the mannequin in our own style. Having chosen red, we encountered the risk of it looking more like fire than a tree, we took care to make sure the lines would come out as angular as we could so that they would look more like branches than flames.

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We originally intended to only paint the mid-section in red for the tree of life, but in the end we painted the whole bottom half of our mannequin with the intention to replicate the artwork all over.

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After we had decoupaged the mannequin and it had dried completely, we then went to paint the entire lower half of the mannequin red. As well as painting the lower half of the mannequin red, we went to replicate the 'Tree of Life' growing up towards the torso of the mannequin. It was important to us to replicated the tree as it is an important symbol in Turkic mythology. Then to add more detail to the branches of the tree we went to replicate Fahrelnissa Zeid' artwork by painting colours that are symbolic in Istanbul.

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When looking into Fahrelnissa Zeid' artwork I went to insert some of her work onto our mannequin to produce an initial idea. Although we decided as a group, not to cover the whole of the mannequin in her art it was a good way of seeing how the art would compliment the gold of our mannequin.

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Halos have always been an integral part of Christianity since its inception as a way to represent the divinity of an individual. They come in various forms and shapes, from oversized disks surrounding the head to smaller circles on top and bursting light forms.
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/228628118566804717/?lp=true

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http://guity-novin.blogspot.com/2010/02/history-of-graphic-design-byzantine-art.html

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benois_Madonna#/media/File:Madonna_benois_01.jpg

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jan_van_Eyck_-_The_Ghent_Altarpiece_-_Virgin_Mary_(detail)_-_WGA07629.jpg

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(religious_iconography)#/media/File:Pisanello_014.jpg

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Halos have featured in religions other than Christianity as well, including Islam, where they would often be surrounding the individual's whole body, sometimes even in a flame-like shape.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bichitr_-_Jahangir_preferring_a_sufi_sheikh_to_kings.jpg

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We chose to layer the dots on the mannequin in big clumps as we wanted to add a bit of a three-dimensional texture to the surface and make it visibly contrast with the decoupaged artwork.

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Initially we wanted to cover the whole surface of the tree in dots, hiding away most of the red base, but as we started working on it we realised it would look better to leave big gaps in between the colours. We made the dots smaller and smaller as they went up the mannequin to better fit within the outline rather than cover it.

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We added gold leaf to the top of the mannequin for added texture. After applying and brushing, it created a very unique cracking effect that makes it seem like the mannequin is emerging from underneath it, similarly to the layers of  dust and patina on old bronze statues.

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We wanted the gold leaf to slowly fade into the torso by attaching it in small clumps to create a dusted on effect.

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We added gold leaf onto the feet as well to mimmic the top of the mannequin, but we decided to keep the base red as to create a bit more contrast with the gold.

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We've added mosaic pieces around the areas where the decoupage meets the mannequin as a sort of demarcation line. We chose to use light shades as we felt that they would contrast and stand out more against the dark red.

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We thought the tree felt flat and was lost in the gold glow when looked at from afar, so we decided to outline it in blue to make it pop out more.