Statues of South Korea’s huge aquarium made in Turkey

ÇANAKKALE – Demirören News Agency

In the northwestern province of Çanakkale, 11 artists from different disciplines have come together to create magnificent sculptures belonging to Greek mythology in their workshop in Küçük Sanayi Sitesi (Small Industrial Site) that will be exhibited in South Korea’s giant aquarium.

Some five mermaid statues, giant statues of Poseidon, Athena and Medusa, and busts of Zeus, Heracles, Perseus, Aphrodite belonging to Greek mythology are under the scope of the project.

Ethem Muhtaroğlu, a graduate of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, stated that he has been creating artworks in the field of sculpture, ceramic, mosaic and painting for about 20 years.

He said that after receiving an order from a South Korean company, he came together with artists of different disciples and formed a team of 11 to accomplish the project and has established a workshop in the Küçük Sanayi Sitesi to carry out the works.

Muhtaroğlu also said that there was a very skilled artist community in Çanakkale who were proficient enough to accomplish anything together in terms of art.

Noting that the team of artists includes graduates in different disciplines belonging to ceramics, sculpture, textile, and sound engineering departments, Muhtaroğlu said, “With this group, we are in a position to handle any work that can be given to us.”

“These works are currently being made for South Korea. In a very short time, like six months, we will be working to make three giant sculptures, five giant busts and five mermaid sculptures, which they want from us,” he added.

Stating that although they have less time for the work assigned, he said, that the team has rolled up their sleeves and have started the work to complete the statues.

“Poseidon, the name of the largest of our sculptures, is 3.5 meters tall. The Athena statue is 3.3 meters, and the Medusa statue is 3 meters tall. These three sculptures describe Poseidon’s love for Medusa as a concept,” he said.

Noting that there are also five busts chosen as main characters, which are the most famous names from Greek mythology, he said, “We will make five busts of 1.80 meters, including Zeus, Heracles, Perseus, Aphrodite and Ares. We will also make five mermaid sculptures.”

Nothing that with the development of technology, many different production methods have emerged, Muhtaroğlu said: “While working on these sculptures, we first model the work we will make from clay during the approval process. Then we take the mold and produce a prototype from a material that will not break, which serves as a map for us. Of course, we get the approval for this small prototype, which we can call a trinket.”

Underlining that they no longer make artifacts by carving a rough mass, he said that they make use of the cladding method to construct the models to finish it on time.

“When using this method, we use epoxy paste that we prepare, since they [scupltors] will be located in an aquarium and will remain in saltwater,” Muhtaroğlu said, adding that they make their version of epoxy paste by using the materials of local production brands to make the sculptors.

“As a shaping method, we take advantage of the opportunities provided by technology. The sculptures are also very strong thanks to the construction. They need to be robust as they will travel overseas and stay underwater,” he added.

Muhtaroğlu said that they are planning to send the statues of Athena and Medusa and the busts of Zeus and Heracles to South Korea in containers in December and that they will be delivering all orders by the end of January.