Leila Boveiri – Serendipity | Exhibition Opening

An unexpected, fortunate discovery — a true serendipity experience — sparked my interest in the depiction of various goddesses as anthropomorphic plants. The concept of serendipity refers to the kind of accidental discovery where we stumble upon something we were not looking for — perhaps even unaware of its existence — and yet, once found, it gains deep significance. Such a discovery is not merely a stroke of luck; it becomes truly meaningful only when we recognize the potential within it.

While researching myths, I encountered goddesses associated with plants or fruits as symbolic attributes. These figures often represent not only natural phenomena or human qualities, but also serve as ancient emblems of fertility. This inspired me to portray them through the forms of fruits, highlighting the connections and resonances between nature, the female body, and life itself.

Following that initial chance encounter, my research took a more deliberate path. I began seeking out mythological figures connected in some way to plants or fruits. Among the characters depicted in my paintings are deities of specific plants — such as the goddess of poppies — as well as others for whom a plant serves as a symbolic companion, like garlic with Hecate.

Human beings have always searched for reflections of themselves in the world around them, which is why we are instinctively drawn to anything that reminds us of the human form. These shapes feel familiar, as if we’re seeing a part of ourselves mirrored in them. Perhaps this is why we feel so close to anything that takes on a human shape. This same drive led to the creation of gods and goddesses — as responses to natural phenomena like the changing seasons or unpredictable weather, which early humans could not yet understand. In my paintings, I follow this ancient pattern: I depict nature in the form of the human body to bring it closer to today’s viewer — someone who has grown increasingly distant from it.

Though my works sometimes feature ordinary fruits and vegetables, our eyes are instinctively drawn to the elements that appear human. When a shape — intentionally or accidentally — reminds us of ourselves, it instantly captures our attention. Discovering such a form, like when a carrot evokes a human figure, can itself be a kind of serendipity experience: an unexpected encounter between nature and the human body. These random recognitions are not only playful but open new visual or conceptual paths for the artist.

The goddess figures that appear in the paintings come from various mythological systems and cultures, including Greek, Hindu, and Aztec traditions. Their origins and cultural contexts shape their characteristic iconographies. In my work, I reinterpret the visual appearances of these different goddesses through a unified formal language. The Venus of Willendorf — an ancient fertility symbol — and the sphere — as a symbol of geometric perfection — offer a framework in which these figures can be integrated into a coherent system. Thus, instead of being representatives of disparate cultures, they become part of a shared, interconnected world.