Among different cultures and mythologies, the moon is one of the very few celestial bodies to which different genders were assigned. For example, in my homeland (Istanbul, Turkey) moon is perceived as a male figure ("ay dede"), whereas in ancient Rome it was embodied as the goddess “Luna”. Thus, I attribute the genderless identity to the Moon as a celebration of the non-binary gender spectrum.

Moon: Genderless

Also known as the Red Planet, Mars is famous for the color of its atmosphere. Yet, the reason why it depicts fierceness in this art piece is a rather less known fact: Olympus Mons, the solar system’s largest volcano, which is almost three times as big as Mount Everest. A gentle giant with tremendous power underlying its surface is patiently waiting to explode if triggered.

Mars: Fierce

Jupiter, named after the god of sky and thunder, holds the biggest storm of the solar system under its atmosphere. A storm so big that it could easily engulf Earth... A storm that is circling Jupiter continously for 350 years... The Great Red Spot. The Warrior.

Jupiter: Warrior

With its upside-down spin and Shakespearean moons, Uranus is an outlier. 
Less known than Saturn, Uranus also has rings around it, which are vertically aligned due to Uranus' uncommon rotation. Unlike all other planets, Uranus is tilted on its side and spins almost orthogonal to its orbit around the sun. Rotating around this planet are 5 major moons, that are named after Shakespeare characters.

Uranus: Romantic

The days of the weeks were initially named after the Roman gods but then were adapted to the Germanic mythology when they adopted it from Romans. Except for one: Saturday, or may I say, Saturn’s day. The Roman god of seed. And in almost a synaesthetic way, Saturday makes me think of Berlin. The city that I newly moved in, the city where the seeds of this project lie...

Saturn: Berlin

For a long period, Venus, the twin sister of Earth, was believed to be the brightest star in the night sky, which got her the name “Venus”: the goddess of beauty, love, and victory. In this piece, Venus is portrayed as a black woman, to challenge the common conceptions of beauty and power, while appreciating the black culture.

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Su Tashan