Marjo Postma : the whispering of the turtle / il sussurro della tartaruga

As slow as a turtle” is a saying that refers to the longevity, wisdom and moderation of both turtles and tortoises, which are symbols of happiness and fortune. So why not reflect on the elegance of these wonderful animals, on how effortlessly they carry their own history, their home, and even the sacredness we invested them with?
Nature has given a great deal of fabulous ideas to Marjo Postma, ever since she ran into a turtle in the depth of the warm and clear waters of the coral reef in Hurghada, the Red Sea, Egypt. It was 1992 and it was still uncontaminated there.
To the artist, scuba diving - more than snorkeling - is a door to a liquid world full of wonders, where she remembers following the hypnotic spinning of bold and curious fishes of different colors and shapes. The Hawksbill sea turtle did not look afraid either. On the contrary, it swam around the scuba diver - who was spellbound by its beauty - as curious as her.
Even today, when in need of energy and imagination, Marjo Postma goes back to that encounter and those pure feelings instantly come back to life. Perhaps in the few seconds when she saw the turtle she felt like when, as a child, she raptly watched the documentaries by Jacques-Yves Cousteau on TV. “Fish have a blank face, yet their life is just adventurous… who knows what’s on their mind”, she would wonder. She has kept asking herself the same question over time.