Category: Art
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Kalamkari Travels Between Worlds
This article was originally published as part of the AAJA Voices program. It can be read here. In a bright Brooklyn apartment, young professionals gather around a large wooden table, learning to work with natural dyes and the bamboo pens traditionally used in making kalamkari, an ancient artform from rural Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India. Artisans…
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Traditional Japanese Marbling Techniques Create Dreamy Wallcoverings
Natascha Maksimovic wants to bring people closer to nature. Using centuries-old techniques, the Margate, England–based artist, also known as Nat Maks, paints expansive marbled landscapes that immerse the viewer in mesmerizing organic motifs. “In a time when digital tools and AI are reshaping our lives, I feel it’s more important than ever to hold on to…
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Tasting With the Eyes
The artificial display foods known as shokuhin sampuru that fill restaurant windows across Japan represent a fascinating innovation with nearly a century of history, showing how a uniquely Japanese craft evolved into an entire industry and pioneered a revolutionary form of visual communication. Sampuru first originated in the 1920s, when rapid modernization in Japan drew masses of rural…
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Richard Wu Breaks the Mold
Solitaire International features the “iconoclast” Richard Wu and his “one-off, new-age” jewelry. Richard Wu is the architect of the unexpected, and breaking the mould is second nature to him. His artistry lies in expressing his existential angst through one-off, new-age creations. Starting out as a traditional jade carver and engraver in Suzhou, China, and later learning…
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Berndnaut Smilde Constructs Nimbus Clouds
NimbusBerndnaut Smilde’s Nimbus art series consists of slow-motion videos depicting self-made clouds emerging and decomposing in a void. The footage was captured with a high speed camera resulting in a slowed down visualization on how clouds evolve, change shape and reflect light. The Nimbus works present a transitory moment of presence in a specific location. They…
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Traditional African Craft Markets
NewsBytes gives us a primer on the best traditional craft markets in Africa. I Africa is dotted with diverse cultures, each with its own artistic expressions. If you’re a traveler looking for authentic souvenirs without spending a fortune, Africa’s craft markets are a treasure trove of budget-friendly finds. The markets are not just places to…
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“East/West Batik and Beyond” Featured at Seattle’s Center on Contemporary Art
It’s hard to believe these beautiful textiles are made by hand-drawing layers of melted wax on fabric then repeatedly dying it in carefully tended indigo vats. Jieyi Ludden Zhou, a Chinese American teacher and artist living in Shanghai, co-curated the show “East/West Batik and Beyond” to highlight the traditional heritage of crafts of women in…
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“Tradition Does Not Confine Us – It Guides Us”
In a recent post I acknowledged my mixed feelings about traditional cultures. Subsequently, I came across this column by Tiffani Gyatso in Buddhistdoor Global. She writes beautifully about the tension between tradition and modernity and concludes: Tradition sustains; contemporaneity provokes. And perhaps the future of art—of those expressions that truly touch the human spirit—lies precisely…
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Rays of Hope
“From conceptual works like Rays of Hope to traditional models like the paper airplane or peace crane and even modern collaborations with origami masters, my work explores how thoughtful choices transform a blank sheet into something meaningful.” – Kevin Box Kevin Box is recognized for his ability to capture the delicate nature of paper in dynamic, multi-media…
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How 15 Traditional Crafts Survived For Centuries
From India’s handmade paper and sacred metal mirrors, to Japan’s soy sauce fermented in 100-year-old barrels, Business Insider gives us an inside look at centuries-old traditions around the globe to see how they’re still standing.
The Village Market 