Serendipity

Serendipity – Boveiri Leila

The exhibition will be opened by Radák Eszter

An unexpected, fortunate discovery, a true moment of serendipity, sparked my interest in the depiction of various goddesses as anthropomorphic plants. Serendipity refers to the chance discovery of something we weren’t searching for, perhaps something we didn’t even know existed, but which, once found, becomes meaningful to us. Such a discovery is not merely the result of luck; to gain true significance, it also requires us to recognize the potential it holds. 

During my research into mythology, I encountered goddesses associated with plants or fruits as symbols. These figures often embody not only specific natural phenomena or human traits but also serve as ancient representations of fertility. This inspired me to depict them in the form of fruits, emphasizing the connections and parallels between nature, the female body, and life itself. 

Following that initial, accidental discovery, my research took on a more intentional direction. I began to actively seek mythological figures connected to plants or fruits. Some of the characters featured in my paintings are actual plant goddesses, like the poppy goddess, while others are symbolically linked to natural elements, such as Hecate, who is associated with garlic. 

Humans have always sought reflections of themselves in the world, which is why we’re instinctively drawn to anything that resembles our own bodies. These shapes feel familiar, as if we were seeing a part of ourselves. Perhaps this is why anything that takes on a human form becomes so relatable. The same impulse gave rise to gods and goddesses as attempts to explain natural phenomena like the changing seasons or the unpredictability of weather, things early humans could not yet understand. In my paintings, I follow this ancient pattern. I depict nature in human form to bring it closer to today’s viewer, someone increasingly distanced from the natural world.  

In my paintings, ordinary fruits and vegetables sometimes appear, yet our eyes instinctively focus on what seems human. When a shape, whether by design or by accident, resembles the human form, it immediately captures our attention. Discovering such a resemblance, like when a carrot evokes the human figure, can itself be a kind of serendipitous moment: an unexpected encounter between nature and human body. These accidental recognitions are not only playful, but also open new visual or conceptual paths for the artist.

The goddess figures depicted in the paintings originate from various mythological systems and cultures, including Greek, Hindu, and Aztec myths. Their origins and cultural contexts define the characteristics of their iconography. In my work, I reinterpret the visual appearance of these diverse goddesses through a unified visual language. The Venus of Willendorf, as an ancient symbol of fertility, and the sphere, as a representation of geometric perfection, provide an opportunity to place these figures into a coherent system. In this way, they are not merely representatives of different cultures, but become parts of one shared, interconnected world.