A Horticultural Marvel ~The Sultan Garden

By Marina Rybak

The Blossoming of Ottoman Art at The Textile Museum Exhibit In Washington, DC

Attuned as I am to Mother Nature these few days, I am reflecting on the time when I was rewarded with my own rooftop garden in the middle of Manhattan. My wish was granted. Committed to reinvigorate my artistic expression, I had a chance to grow a garden. With the desire to be rooted and grounded, I eagerly immersed my hands into the dirt.

The process of cultivating my urban celestial sanctuary was so healing and satisfying. Watching things grow was a constant reminder of many treasures, dug from the giving, infinitely abundant earth. The schooling in this sensuous alchemy took me to the frontiers of the miraculous, expanding the artist, reengaging the artisan within and setting alight my expression in jewelry.

With another wish for more healing now and the colder days upon us I would love to transplant myself into a different horticultural marvel that is going to bloom all winter, The Sultan Garden: The Blossoming of Ottoman Art. This spirit-boosting exhibit radiates its beauty in the Textile Museum in Washington, DC through March 10, 2013.

The exhibit takes you back to the mid-16th century and moving forward through an era when the Ottoman Court love affair with flowers and gardening gave birth to a sumptuous floral style and a nation-defining design language. Among various decorative arts, it produced the most sophisticated, luxurious textiles. They were influential near and far, generating an opulent legacy and the tradition of the textile development for the ages.

The visit to the Textile Museum is a treat on any day, but this installation is close to my heart. I consider myself quite fortunate, having had numerous opportunities to travel and design in Turkey.  I am sure many of my friends who followed the same path would agree. Creating in Turkey is a richly stimulating, inspirational experience. And maybe, I speak for them as well when I admit that I have a “sweet spot” for the home of the tulip.

For more information about the exhibit check out http://textilemuseum.org/exhibitions/SultansGarden.html