The jasmine

The Turkish Cypriot artist Emin Çizenel presented his work A Lost Moment in 2006. The artist was born in Mallia village, Paphos and graduated from the Istanbul Fine Arts Academy in 1974. Emin was inspired for this project by rituals of days gone by: The ritual of jasmine being threaded by young girls. The ritual of sellers on bicycles in the streets of crowded towns who sold jasmine, offering still an old tradition to those living in urban centres, who had gardens no more. The ritual of those jasmine-sellers who offered a nostalgic trip of childhood smells and memories. The ritual of a story he heard from his uncle, a turabi who was madly in love with a beautiful girl. This was a love affair which everyone in the village knew about and accepted. Neighbours put jasmine on the turabi’s bed inviting thus the girl to come share his bed. The jasmine was breaking taboos, bringing lovers together. The object around which the project is built is a bunch of threaded jasmine flowers. It teases the five senses; it smells, it occupies space, it can be touched, it moves in rhythm while blooming, it excites the imagination. Jasmine is thus alive and multi-dimensional. It teases and provokes the artist and the artist plays with it.