Fountain of Life Large Scale Public Artwork

Water symbolism permeates Derya Geylani Vuruşan's Fountain Of Life, invoking humanity's most universal element of purification, renewal, and vital sustenance while transforming its inherently ephemeral nature into permanent crystalline form. The tiered fountain structure draws upon archetypal associations reaching from the biblical rivers of Eden through the sacred springs of classical antiquity to the life-giving oases of desert traditions, establishing the work within primordial symbolic vocabulary. Glass as material carries its own rich connotations of transformation through fire, the alchemical transmutation of common sand into precious transparency, here employed to immortalize water's fleeting beauty. The radial explosion of forms suggests the sun's rays, creation's first moment of expansion, the big bang rendered in domestic scale, speaking to generative cosmic forces. Numerologically, the three tiers invoke trinitarian completeness found across spiritual traditions, the synthesis of opposing forces through mediating third principle. The surrounding gilt arabesques participate in traditions of infinite geometric elaboration symbolizing divine complexity and cosmic order, their endless scrolling patterns contrasting with yet complementing the organic spontaneity of the glass forms. Warm golden illumination from within carries associations of sacred light, inner spiritual radiance, the treasure within humble vessel. The threshold positioning, glimpsed through drapery parting like stage curtains, suggests liminal revelation, the moment of encountering something extraordinary. Drapery itself carries symbolic weight as the veil between mundane and sacred realms, here drawn aside to reveal a marvel. The fountain as archetype represents the source, the origin point from which abundance flows, here celebrating life's generative forces through sophisticated material poetry.

This sculptural piece, located at İstanbul Airport's Kaimakk Restaurant, combines traditional travertine stone with large scale glass splashes to represent the concept of time. The stone fountain symbolizes the past, while the glass splashes, appearing to emerge from the fountain, capture the present moment. The design stands out through its integration of contrasting materials and its symbolic representation of time, blending craftsmanship with a narrative that reflects both history and the present in a dynamic form.