Gasp! A modest black dress transformed into a magical, crystal-covered wedding dress all thanks to a three month submersion in the Dead Sea. “Salt Bride” is the work of Tel Aviv based artist Sigalit Landau, in collaboration with her partner Yotam From. There are so many poetic elements to this work, the first being Sigalit’s connection to this water. She grew up going on family holidays to this sea and knows it well {*fyi, this dress is not the first thing she has turned into a salty gem}. Secondly, her inspiration for this piece is beautiful too:

The traditional Hasidic garment shown in the photographs is a replica of the costume worn by the female character Leah in the canonical Yiddish play, The Dybbuk, as portrayed by legendary actress Hanna Rovina for forty years with the Habima Theatre, first in Russia and then Israel.

Written by S. Ansky between 1913 and 1916, The Dybbuk tells the story of a young bride possessed by an evil spirit and subsequently exorcised. In Landau’s Salt Bride series, Leah’s black garb is transformed underwater as salt crystals gradually adhere to the fabric. Over time, the sea’s alchemy transforms the plain garment from a symbol associated with death and madness into the wedding dress it was always intended to be. ~ Marlborough Gallery, London

Amazing, and perfectly executed. There are currently eight large-scale, underwater photographs of the “Salt Bride” being exhibited at Marlborough Gallery in London. They’ll be on display until September 17th, 2016.

* A few other salt-covered objects from Sigalit’s stunning portfolio:

That bike. Love.