A TAKE-OFF / DANCING WITH A CRANE Oil

Since the beginning of time artists are using allegory and symbolism to convey messages through their art-works. In my series "Dancing With Birds" I found it interesting to use the symbolic meaning of different birds, it gives an additional enriched meaning to the subjects of the paintings, inner meaning. I am sure those were birds, the only dancing creatures of Nature, who once taught the Man dance lessons, "body language", so the unification of ballet dancers and birds is very organic for me.

Throughout Asia, the crane is a symbol of happiness and eternal youth, and symbolises good fortune and longevity, it is the second most favoured bird symbol after the phoenix. Since ancient times, the Chinese have been exceptionally creative in using various living, non-living and imaginary objects to represent abstract ideas. Among the most popular and widely used symbols are the ones for longevity. They include bamboo and crane. There are four types of cranes in Chinese mythology. One of them, a crane that is shown with its wings stretched out and one leg raised, stands for longevity.