“The Rise of Tiamat”

by Mislina MALKOÇ · Helmond, NL

This artwork depicts a vivid mythological scene rendered with expressive, symbolic, and highly dynamic brushwork. At the center stands a stylized divine figure with elongated proportions, wearing a patterned red garment and crowned with horn-like shapes that evoke ancient Mesopotamian iconography. The figure’s outstretched arm suggests authority, ritual command, or a protective gesture toward the creatures beside her. To the left, a massive serpent-like being coils upward in a dramatic spiral, its head emerging with a fierce beak and penetrating eye. Its form combines avian and serpentine qualities, symbolizing chaos, primordial waters, or a cosmic force beyond human comprehension. Below it stands a smaller animal—lion-like yet abstracted reinforcing the mythological and hybrid nature of the scene. Above the central figure glows a radiant star-symbol reminiscent of the solar or astral emblems found in ancient Near Eastern cultures. The background, filled with luminous yellows, blues, and reds, evokes an otherworldly realm where divine and monstrous beings coexist. The painting’s overall atmosphere is both ritualistic and narrative, suggesting a moment of divine confrontation, creation, or cosmic balance. The warm, earthy setting in which the artwork is displayed enhances its dramatic colors, making it appear like a relic of an ancient myth brought into a contemporary interior space.