Sculptor Emin Ebdo, who made the statue of Apê Yûsif Gulo, who was killed with his grandsons Mazlum and Mihemed Gulo on November 9 in the Hilêliyê District of Qamishlo by the invading Turkish state, said he was both touched and honoured.

Speaking to ANF, sculptor Emin Ebdo stated that taking the demands of the people into account, he and his two friends started to work on January 6. Noting that he met Apê Yûsif in 1988, Ebdo said: “We frequently met while working with the Freedom Movement. We already lived in the same neighbourhood and knew one other, but the Freedom Movement helped us get to know each other better. It's difficult to put into words. He was a natural, forward-thinking individual who did not accept mistakes and was tremendously attached to life. My dedication to Apê Yûsif helped me in the creation of this statue. Otherwise, it is difficult to make a statue of a nationalist like Apê Yûsif.”

I MASTERED HIS FACE

Stating that he remembered Apê Yûsif's facial features and did not look at his face in photographs again, Ebdo continued as follows: "To be worthy of Apê Yûsif, we created a sculpture that is more than twice its height. We, as the people of Rojava, wish to create and build statues commemorating our struggle, courage, and martyrdom. We want to use sculptures to represent our movement, our efforts, and our rights. It was highly meaningful to use art to describe Apê Yûsif and bring his work to life. It made me very delighted to be worthy of his efforts and to be able to create his sculpture. This statue will be remembered by everyone who knows or wants to know Apê Yûsif.”

IT IS AN HONOR TO MAKE HIS STATUE

Noting that Making the Apê Yûsif statue has particularly meaningful and special, Ebdo said: “It is an honour to be the sculptor of someone who is well-known, esteemed, liked, and respected in society. It is an honour to create a statue of such a hero of the resistance. Apê Yûsif was the father of a family with twenty martyrs. The grandfather of a family that fights for its people and territory. I was both moved and humbled to sculpt such a symbol of resistance…”

I DID NOT SLEEP FOR DAYS

Saying that during the preparation process, he did not fall asleep and he was thinking piece by piece, Ebdo said, “Normally, completing such sculptures in 6 months is difficult. We worked continuously since we were so excited and enthusiastic about it. We are approaching the end of the process. The statue stands three and a half meters tall and sits on a one-and-a-half-meter pedestal.”

ANSWER TO THE ENEMY WITH ART

Expressing that Apê Yûsif continues to live in the hearts and minds of the people, Ebdo added: "Whatever the enemy does, hundreds of thousands will fill a person's place. We used art to reply to the enemy's aspiration to damage the Kurdish people, to darken their lives, and of the martyr those they care about.”