Earlier this month on the 8th March, Hindus in India and across the world celebrated the annual Holi festival where it is traditional to playfully throw coloured powder and water at each other – creating a literal riot of colour. Possibly the most joyful of all religious festivals, Holi is about welcoming in the Spring, and celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Read the rest of this entry »
The northern port town of Su-ao, Taiwan, is a surreal fishing village with colourful boats docked right next to a bustling open air fish market. The boats’ aesthetic appeal is thanks not only to the bright contrasting painted trim and the faded Chinese characters adorning the stern of each ship, but also an undeniable rugged utility that makes each ship as unique and authentic as the village itself.
Ko Ware High-stemmed Bowl, Yüan Dynasty (1279-1368)
I’ve just returned from Taiwan for a family trip, and one of the many beautiful places we visited was the National Palace Museum. The museum holds an ever rotating treasure trove of Chinese antiquities that Chiang Kai-shek first safely stashed in the Chinese country side during the second Sino-Japanese war, and later shipped in unthinkably large quantities to Taiwan when his Nationalist party broke off from the Chinese Communist party. While Chinese arts and culture are beloved for its ornate beauty, I was somewhat surprised to find many pieces on display with a quiet, stark simplicity. Pictures are strictly prohibited within the museum, but the museum’s website has a healthy selection from the collections currently on display.
A still taken from the music video for Avi Buffalo - "What's In It For?"
I keep seeing the work of Los Angeles based music video director Andrew Huang scattered across the internet, and I must say it’s pretty impressive stuff. Using a mix of live footage, computer animation and puppetry, Huang creates fantastical, technicolour organisms and dreamlike landscapes. Read the rest of this entry »