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  • Laura Boráros Dances Between Dreams and Reality in a Surreal Short Film

    If you’ve ever had an upstairs neighbor, you’re probably familiar with the sounds of echoing footsteps, resonant laughing, glass breaking, and the muffled weight of too many voices speaking atop one another during a late-night gathering.

    In a short film titled “Snovník,” or “Dreamer,” Czech Rpublic-based filmmaker Laura Boráros introduces a bright red protagonist who is unable to sleep when he can’t ignore the rowdiness resonating from above his bedroom ceiling. Taking matters into his own hands, he makes his way upstairs and knocks on his neighbor’s door—only to become engulfed by the fun himself by peering into a small keyhole.

    Boráros immerses the audience with a flurry with bold colors, painted and snipped into a mirage of shapes and scenes. Using stop-motion, the animation strikes a mechanical yet fluid tone, creating a surreal environment that accurately captures the experience of the very fever dream “Snovník” depicts.

    Watch the full film on Vimeo, and get a peek at the artist’s process on Instagram.

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as per month. The article Laura Boráros Dances Between Dreams and Reality in a Surreal Short Film appeared first on Colossal.
    #laura #boráros #dances #between #dreams
    Laura Boráros Dances Between Dreams and Reality in a Surreal Short Film
    If you’ve ever had an upstairs neighbor, you’re probably familiar with the sounds of echoing footsteps, resonant laughing, glass breaking, and the muffled weight of too many voices speaking atop one another during a late-night gathering. In a short film titled “Snovník,” or “Dreamer,” Czech Rpublic-based filmmaker Laura Boráros introduces a bright red protagonist who is unable to sleep when he can’t ignore the rowdiness resonating from above his bedroom ceiling. Taking matters into his own hands, he makes his way upstairs and knocks on his neighbor’s door—only to become engulfed by the fun himself by peering into a small keyhole. Boráros immerses the audience with a flurry with bold colors, painted and snipped into a mirage of shapes and scenes. Using stop-motion, the animation strikes a mechanical yet fluid tone, creating a surreal environment that accurately captures the experience of the very fever dream “Snovník” depicts. Watch the full film on Vimeo, and get a peek at the artist’s process on Instagram. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as per month. The article Laura Boráros Dances Between Dreams and Reality in a Surreal Short Film appeared first on Colossal. #laura #boráros #dances #between #dreams
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Laura Boráros Dances Between Dreams and Reality in a Surreal Short Film
    If you’ve ever had an upstairs neighbor, you’re probably familiar with the sounds of echoing footsteps, resonant laughing, glass breaking, and the muffled weight of too many voices speaking atop one another during a late-night gathering. In a short film titled “Snovník,” or “Dreamer,” Czech Rpublic-based filmmaker Laura Boráros introduces a bright red protagonist who is unable to sleep when he can’t ignore the rowdiness resonating from above his bedroom ceiling. Taking matters into his own hands, he makes his way upstairs and knocks on his neighbor’s door—only to become engulfed by the fun himself by peering into a small keyhole. Boráros immerses the audience with a flurry with bold colors, painted and snipped into a mirage of shapes and scenes. Using stop-motion, the animation strikes a mechanical yet fluid tone, creating a surreal environment that accurately captures the experience of the very fever dream “Snovník” depicts. Watch the full film on Vimeo, and get a peek at the artist’s process on Instagram. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Laura Boráros Dances Between Dreams and Reality in a Surreal Short Film appeared first on Colossal.
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  • Humpback Whales Are Approaching People to Blow Rings. What Are They Trying to Say?

    A bubble ring created by a humpback whale named Thorn. Image © Dan Knaub, The Video Company
    Humpback Whales Are Approaching People to Blow Rings. What Are They Trying to Say?
    June 13, 2025
    NatureSocial Issues
    Grace Ebert

    After the “orca uprising” captivated anti-capitalists around the world in 2023, scientists are intrigued by another form of marine mammal communication.
    A study released this month by the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis dives into a newly documented phenomenon of humpback whales blowing bubble rings while interacting with humans. In contrast to the orcas’ aggressive behavior, researchers say the humpbacks appear to be friendly, relaxed, and even curious.
    Bubbles aren’t new to these aquatic giants, which typically release various shapes when corraling prey and courting mates. This study follows 12 distinct incidents involving 11 whales producing 39 rings, most of which have approached boats near Hawaii, the Dominican Republic, Mo’orea, and the U.S. Atlantic coast on their own.
    The impact of this research reaches far beyond the oceans, though. Deciphering these non-verbal messages could aid in potential extraterrestrial communication, as they can help to “develop filters that aid in parsing cosmic signals for signs of extraterrestrial life,” a statement says.
    “Because of current limitations on technology, an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrial intelligence and life will be interested in making contact and so target human receivers,” said Dr. Laurance Doyle, a SETI Institute scientist who co-wrote the paper. “This important assumption is certainly supported by the independent evolution of curious behavior in humpback whales.”A composite image of at least one bubble ring from each interaction
    Previous articleNext article
    #humpback #whales #are #approaching #people
    Humpback Whales Are Approaching People to Blow Rings. What Are They Trying to Say?
    A bubble ring created by a humpback whale named Thorn. Image © Dan Knaub, The Video Company Humpback Whales Are Approaching People to Blow Rings. What Are They Trying to Say? June 13, 2025 NatureSocial Issues Grace Ebert After the “orca uprising” captivated anti-capitalists around the world in 2023, scientists are intrigued by another form of marine mammal communication. A study released this month by the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis dives into a newly documented phenomenon of humpback whales blowing bubble rings while interacting with humans. In contrast to the orcas’ aggressive behavior, researchers say the humpbacks appear to be friendly, relaxed, and even curious. Bubbles aren’t new to these aquatic giants, which typically release various shapes when corraling prey and courting mates. This study follows 12 distinct incidents involving 11 whales producing 39 rings, most of which have approached boats near Hawaii, the Dominican Republic, Mo’orea, and the U.S. Atlantic coast on their own. The impact of this research reaches far beyond the oceans, though. Deciphering these non-verbal messages could aid in potential extraterrestrial communication, as they can help to “develop filters that aid in parsing cosmic signals for signs of extraterrestrial life,” a statement says. “Because of current limitations on technology, an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrial intelligence and life will be interested in making contact and so target human receivers,” said Dr. Laurance Doyle, a SETI Institute scientist who co-wrote the paper. “This important assumption is certainly supported by the independent evolution of curious behavior in humpback whales.”A composite image of at least one bubble ring from each interaction Previous articleNext article #humpback #whales #are #approaching #people
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Humpback Whales Are Approaching People to Blow Rings. What Are They Trying to Say?
    A bubble ring created by a humpback whale named Thorn. Image © Dan Knaub, The Video Company Humpback Whales Are Approaching People to Blow Rings. What Are They Trying to Say? June 13, 2025 NatureSocial Issues Grace Ebert After the “orca uprising” captivated anti-capitalists around the world in 2023, scientists are intrigued by another form of marine mammal communication. A study released this month by the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis dives into a newly documented phenomenon of humpback whales blowing bubble rings while interacting with humans. In contrast to the orcas’ aggressive behavior, researchers say the humpbacks appear to be friendly, relaxed, and even curious. Bubbles aren’t new to these aquatic giants, which typically release various shapes when corraling prey and courting mates. This study follows 12 distinct incidents involving 11 whales producing 39 rings, most of which have approached boats near Hawaii, the Dominican Republic, Mo’orea, and the U.S. Atlantic coast on their own. The impact of this research reaches far beyond the oceans, though. Deciphering these non-verbal messages could aid in potential extraterrestrial communication, as they can help to “develop filters that aid in parsing cosmic signals for signs of extraterrestrial life,” a statement says. “Because of current limitations on technology, an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrial intelligence and life will be interested in making contact and so target human receivers,” said Dr. Laurance Doyle, a SETI Institute scientist who co-wrote the paper. “This important assumption is certainly supported by the independent evolution of curious behavior in humpback whales.” (via PetaPixel) A composite image of at least one bubble ring from each interaction Previous articleNext article
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  • Punctured Photographs by Yael Martínez Illuminate the Daily Ruptures of Systemic Violence

    “El Hombre y la Montaña”. All images courtesy of This Book Is True, shared with permission
    Punctured Photographs by Yael Martínez Illuminate the Daily Ruptures of Systemic Violence
    June 13, 2025
    Grace Ebert

    The Mexican state of Guerrero lies on the southern Pacific coast and is home to the popular tourist destination of Acapulco. It’s also one of the nation’s most violent areas due to drug trafficking and cartel presence, and is one of six states that account for nearly half of the country’s total homicides.
    For artist and photographer Yael Martínez, the reality of organized crime became more pronounced when, in 2013, three of his family members disappeared. He began to speak with others in his community who had experienced similar traumas and to connect threads across the borders of Mexico to Honduras, Brazil, and the United States.
    “Itzel at home,” Guerrero, Mexico
    Luciérnagas, which translates to fireflies, comes from Martínez’s meditation on this extreme brutality that “infiltrates daily life and transforms the spirit of a place,” a statement says. Now published in a volume by This Book Is True, the poetic series punctures dark, nighttime photographs with minuscule holes. When backlit, the images bear a dazzling constellation of light that distorts the images in which violence isn’t depicted but rather felt.
    In one work, for example, a man holding a firework stands in a poppy field, a perforated cloud of smoke enveloping his figure. He’s performing an annual ritual on the sacred hill of La Garza, and the setting exemplifies a poignant contradiction between ancestral cultures and a crop that has been subsumed by capitalism and is essential to cartel power. A statement elaborates:

    We don’t see death in Luciérnaga, but its omnipresence is felt throughout, lingering in the shadows of each photograph. Each image painfully underwritten by the result of a calculated violence that visited unseen and undetected, leaving behind the immense void of a vanished loved one. And yet there is always a sense of hope that informs the making of this work.

    Luciérnagas is available from This Book Is True. Find more from Martínez on Instagram.
    “Toro”, Guerrero, Mexico
    “Abuelo-Estrella”, Cochoapa El Grande, Guerrero, Mexico
    “Levantada de Cruz”“El Río de la Memoria y Mis Hijas”Next article
    #punctured #photographs #yael #martínez #illuminate
    Punctured Photographs by Yael Martínez Illuminate the Daily Ruptures of Systemic Violence
    “El Hombre y la Montaña”. All images courtesy of This Book Is True, shared with permission Punctured Photographs by Yael Martínez Illuminate the Daily Ruptures of Systemic Violence June 13, 2025 Grace Ebert The Mexican state of Guerrero lies on the southern Pacific coast and is home to the popular tourist destination of Acapulco. It’s also one of the nation’s most violent areas due to drug trafficking and cartel presence, and is one of six states that account for nearly half of the country’s total homicides. For artist and photographer Yael Martínez, the reality of organized crime became more pronounced when, in 2013, three of his family members disappeared. He began to speak with others in his community who had experienced similar traumas and to connect threads across the borders of Mexico to Honduras, Brazil, and the United States. “Itzel at home,” Guerrero, Mexico Luciérnagas, which translates to fireflies, comes from Martínez’s meditation on this extreme brutality that “infiltrates daily life and transforms the spirit of a place,” a statement says. Now published in a volume by This Book Is True, the poetic series punctures dark, nighttime photographs with minuscule holes. When backlit, the images bear a dazzling constellation of light that distorts the images in which violence isn’t depicted but rather felt. In one work, for example, a man holding a firework stands in a poppy field, a perforated cloud of smoke enveloping his figure. He’s performing an annual ritual on the sacred hill of La Garza, and the setting exemplifies a poignant contradiction between ancestral cultures and a crop that has been subsumed by capitalism and is essential to cartel power. A statement elaborates: We don’t see death in Luciérnaga, but its omnipresence is felt throughout, lingering in the shadows of each photograph. Each image painfully underwritten by the result of a calculated violence that visited unseen and undetected, leaving behind the immense void of a vanished loved one. And yet there is always a sense of hope that informs the making of this work. Luciérnagas is available from This Book Is True. Find more from Martínez on Instagram. “Toro”, Guerrero, Mexico “Abuelo-Estrella”, Cochoapa El Grande, Guerrero, Mexico “Levantada de Cruz”“El Río de la Memoria y Mis Hijas”Next article #punctured #photographs #yael #martínez #illuminate
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Punctured Photographs by Yael Martínez Illuminate the Daily Ruptures of Systemic Violence
    “El Hombre y la Montaña” (December 31, 2020). All images courtesy of This Book Is True, shared with permission Punctured Photographs by Yael Martínez Illuminate the Daily Ruptures of Systemic Violence June 13, 2025 Grace Ebert The Mexican state of Guerrero lies on the southern Pacific coast and is home to the popular tourist destination of Acapulco. It’s also one of the nation’s most violent areas due to drug trafficking and cartel presence, and is one of six states that account for nearly half of the country’s total homicides. For artist and photographer Yael Martínez, the reality of organized crime became more pronounced when, in 2013, three of his family members disappeared. He began to speak with others in his community who had experienced similar traumas and to connect threads across the borders of Mexico to Honduras, Brazil, and the United States. “Itzel at home,” Guerrero, Mexico Luciérnagas, which translates to fireflies, comes from Martínez’s meditation on this extreme brutality that “infiltrates daily life and transforms the spirit of a place,” a statement says. Now published in a volume by This Book Is True, the poetic series punctures dark, nighttime photographs with minuscule holes. When backlit, the images bear a dazzling constellation of light that distorts the images in which violence isn’t depicted but rather felt. In one work, for example, a man holding a firework stands in a poppy field, a perforated cloud of smoke enveloping his figure. He’s performing an annual ritual on the sacred hill of La Garza, and the setting exemplifies a poignant contradiction between ancestral cultures and a crop that has been subsumed by capitalism and is essential to cartel power. A statement elaborates: We don’t see death in Luciérnaga, but its omnipresence is felt throughout, lingering in the shadows of each photograph. Each image painfully underwritten by the result of a calculated violence that visited unseen and undetected, leaving behind the immense void of a vanished loved one. And yet there is always a sense of hope that informs the making of this work. Luciérnagas is available from This Book Is True. Find more from Martínez on Instagram. “Toro” (2018), Guerrero, Mexico “Abuelo-Estrella” (December 21, 2020), Cochoapa El Grande, Guerrero, Mexico “Levantada de Cruz” (2021) “El Río de la Memoria y Mis Hijas” (2022) Next article
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  • An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings

    “Utopian Visions of Hope”. All images courtesy of Sapar Contemporary, shared with permission
    An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings
    June 6, 2025
    ArtClimate
    Grace Ebert

    In Symbiotic Utopia, Agus Putu Suyadnya imagines a future in which tropical ecosystems not unlike those of Southeast Asia become sites for humanity to commune with nature.
    Surrounded by verdant foliage and moss-covered roots that seem to glow with blue and green fuzz, a recurring astronaut figure approaches each scene with comfort and ease. In one work, the suited character cradles a chimpanzee à la notable conservationist Jane Goodall and waves a large bubble wand to create trails of the iridescent orbs in another. And in “Cosmic Self Healing,” the figure sits in a comfortable chair, a large potted plant at his side. This typical domestic scene, though, is situated on the moon, and Earth’s swirling atmosphere appears behind him.
    “Cosmic Self Healing”While alluring in color and density, Suyadnya’s paintings are surreal and portend an eerie future irredeemably impacted by the climate crisis. The astronaut, after all, is fully covered in a protective capsule, a sign that people can only survive with this critical adaptation. “Humans cannot live without nature,” the artist says, “whereas the natural world without mankind will continue to survive. So why, as humans, do we think we have the upper hand?”
    Symbiotic Utopia is on view through July 7 at Sapar Contemporary in New York. Find more from Suyadnya on Instagram.
    Detail of “Cosmic Self Healing”“A Hug for Hope”
    “Steady Humility Wins Every Time”“Yearning for Home”“Playful Nature is the Future”Next article
    #astronaut #finds #symbiosis #with #nature
    An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings
    “Utopian Visions of Hope”. All images courtesy of Sapar Contemporary, shared with permission An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings June 6, 2025 ArtClimate Grace Ebert In Symbiotic Utopia, Agus Putu Suyadnya imagines a future in which tropical ecosystems not unlike those of Southeast Asia become sites for humanity to commune with nature. Surrounded by verdant foliage and moss-covered roots that seem to glow with blue and green fuzz, a recurring astronaut figure approaches each scene with comfort and ease. In one work, the suited character cradles a chimpanzee à la notable conservationist Jane Goodall and waves a large bubble wand to create trails of the iridescent orbs in another. And in “Cosmic Self Healing,” the figure sits in a comfortable chair, a large potted plant at his side. This typical domestic scene, though, is situated on the moon, and Earth’s swirling atmosphere appears behind him. “Cosmic Self Healing”While alluring in color and density, Suyadnya’s paintings are surreal and portend an eerie future irredeemably impacted by the climate crisis. The astronaut, after all, is fully covered in a protective capsule, a sign that people can only survive with this critical adaptation. “Humans cannot live without nature,” the artist says, “whereas the natural world without mankind will continue to survive. So why, as humans, do we think we have the upper hand?” Symbiotic Utopia is on view through July 7 at Sapar Contemporary in New York. Find more from Suyadnya on Instagram. Detail of “Cosmic Self Healing”“A Hug for Hope” “Steady Humility Wins Every Time”“Yearning for Home”“Playful Nature is the Future”Next article #astronaut #finds #symbiosis #with #nature
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings
    “Utopian Visions of Hope” (2025). All images courtesy of Sapar Contemporary, shared with permission An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings June 6, 2025 ArtClimate Grace Ebert In Symbiotic Utopia, Agus Putu Suyadnya imagines a future in which tropical ecosystems not unlike those of Southeast Asia become sites for humanity to commune with nature. Surrounded by verdant foliage and moss-covered roots that seem to glow with blue and green fuzz, a recurring astronaut figure approaches each scene with comfort and ease. In one work, the suited character cradles a chimpanzee à la notable conservationist Jane Goodall and waves a large bubble wand to create trails of the iridescent orbs in another. And in “Cosmic Self Healing,” the figure sits in a comfortable chair, a large potted plant at his side. This typical domestic scene, though, is situated on the moon, and Earth’s swirling atmosphere appears behind him. “Cosmic Self Healing” (2022) While alluring in color and density, Suyadnya’s paintings are surreal and portend an eerie future irredeemably impacted by the climate crisis. The astronaut, after all, is fully covered in a protective capsule, a sign that people can only survive with this critical adaptation. “Humans cannot live without nature,” the artist says, “whereas the natural world without mankind will continue to survive. So why, as humans, do we think we have the upper hand?” Symbiotic Utopia is on view through July 7 at Sapar Contemporary in New York. Find more from Suyadnya on Instagram. Detail of “Cosmic Self Healing” (2022) “A Hug for Hope” “Steady Humility Wins Every Time” (2025) “Yearning for Home” (2024) “Playful Nature is the Future” (2024) Next article
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  • Reskate’s Youthful Murals Transform into Glowing Symbols of Peace

    Reskate’s Youthful Murals Transform into Glowing Symbols of Peace
    June 5, 2025
    Art
    Jackie Andres

    During the day, Reskate’s extensive murals cover large swathes of space on buildings, stage backdrops, and even transformer towers. While these monumental public works are striking during sunlit hours, they completely transform with the darkness of night.
    Artists Javier de Riba and María López are the artistic duo behind Reskate. Primarily based in Barcelona, both artists travel throughout the year, visiting different corners of the world to complete projects to “raise awareness of care for culture, nature, and peace.”
    Detail of “Paix”. Reims, Champagne. Image by Romain Berthiot
    Reskate’s subjects are often children. In a bold, illustrative style with graphic linework, the artists depict young figures holding objects related to the area in which the mural is placed, as well as articles that reflect global concerns. “The invisibilization and invalidation of youth as an active element that should be part of society is a burden that continues to be perpetuated,” the duo explains in a statement covering “Eulalia,” a previous mural completed in 2023.
    An example of this is prevalent in “Bruit,” taking the form of stage design for an immersive concert. In the piece, a young girl protectively wraps her arms around a fishbowl, nodding to the impact of sound pollution within the oceans.
    The pair recently completed an exhibit at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona and plans to continue their artistic endeavors both in and out of the public space. Find more work on Reskate’s website and Instagram, and browse prints in their online shop.
    “Harmony”. Liverpool. Image by Corbyn John
    “Transformateur”. Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France. Image by Sophie Palmier
    Detail of “Transformateur”. Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France. Image by Sophie Palmier
    “Bruit”. Le Mans, France
    Detail of “Bruit”. Le Mans, France

    “Boycott”. Ghent, Belgium
    Next article
    #reskates #youthful #murals #transform #into
    Reskate’s Youthful Murals Transform into Glowing Symbols of Peace
    Reskate’s Youthful Murals Transform into Glowing Symbols of Peace June 5, 2025 Art Jackie Andres During the day, Reskate’s extensive murals cover large swathes of space on buildings, stage backdrops, and even transformer towers. While these monumental public works are striking during sunlit hours, they completely transform with the darkness of night. Artists Javier de Riba and María López are the artistic duo behind Reskate. Primarily based in Barcelona, both artists travel throughout the year, visiting different corners of the world to complete projects to “raise awareness of care for culture, nature, and peace.” Detail of “Paix”. Reims, Champagne. Image by Romain Berthiot Reskate’s subjects are often children. In a bold, illustrative style with graphic linework, the artists depict young figures holding objects related to the area in which the mural is placed, as well as articles that reflect global concerns. “The invisibilization and invalidation of youth as an active element that should be part of society is a burden that continues to be perpetuated,” the duo explains in a statement covering “Eulalia,” a previous mural completed in 2023. An example of this is prevalent in “Bruit,” taking the form of stage design for an immersive concert. In the piece, a young girl protectively wraps her arms around a fishbowl, nodding to the impact of sound pollution within the oceans. The pair recently completed an exhibit at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona and plans to continue their artistic endeavors both in and out of the public space. Find more work on Reskate’s website and Instagram, and browse prints in their online shop. “Harmony”. Liverpool. Image by Corbyn John “Transformateur”. Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France. Image by Sophie Palmier Detail of “Transformateur”. Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France. Image by Sophie Palmier “Bruit”. Le Mans, France Detail of “Bruit”. Le Mans, France “Boycott”. Ghent, Belgium Next article #reskates #youthful #murals #transform #into
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Reskate’s Youthful Murals Transform into Glowing Symbols of Peace
    Reskate’s Youthful Murals Transform into Glowing Symbols of Peace June 5, 2025 Art Jackie Andres During the day, Reskate’s extensive murals cover large swathes of space on buildings, stage backdrops, and even transformer towers. While these monumental public works are striking during sunlit hours, they completely transform with the darkness of night. Artists Javier de Riba and María López are the artistic duo behind Reskate. Primarily based in Barcelona, both artists travel throughout the year, visiting different corners of the world to complete projects to “raise awareness of care for culture, nature, and peace.” Detail of “Paix” (2025). Reims, Champagne. Image by Romain Berthiot Reskate’s subjects are often children. In a bold, illustrative style with graphic linework, the artists depict young figures holding objects related to the area in which the mural is placed, as well as articles that reflect global concerns. “The invisibilization and invalidation of youth as an active element that should be part of society is a burden that continues to be perpetuated,” the duo explains in a statement covering “Eulalia,” a previous mural completed in 2023. An example of this is prevalent in “Bruit,” taking the form of stage design for an immersive concert. In the piece, a young girl protectively wraps her arms around a fishbowl, nodding to the impact of sound pollution within the oceans. The pair recently completed an exhibit at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona and plans to continue their artistic endeavors both in and out of the public space. Find more work on Reskate’s website and Instagram, and browse prints in their online shop. “Harmony” (2025). Liverpool. Image by Corbyn John “Transformateur” (2024). Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France. Image by Sophie Palmier Detail of “Transformateur” (2024). Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France. Image by Sophie Palmier “Bruit” (2024). Le Mans, France Detail of “Bruit” (2024). Le Mans, France “Boycott” (2024). Ghent, Belgium Next article
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  • Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style

    “Pillars”, oil on linen, 84 x 96 inches. All images courtesy of Mario Moore and Library Street Collective, shared with permission
    Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style
    June 4, 2025
    Kate Mothes

    In large-scale works in oil, Detroit-based artist Mario Moore taps into the legacy of European painting traditions to create bold portraits exploring the nature of veneration, self-determination, and the continuum of history.
    Moore’s work is currently on view in Beneath Our Feet at Library Street Collective alongside fellow Detroiter LaKela Brown. His new pieces nod to the Dutch and Flemish tradition of devotional painting, particularly religious garland paintings. Within elegant arrangements of flowers and foliage, he highlights Black figures relaxing or tending to gardens.
    “The Patron Saint of Urban Farming”, oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches
    In “Watermelon Man,” a stone altar is surrounded by hibiscus and watermelons, both symbols of resilience. Historically, the latter represented self-sufficiency and freedom for Southern African Americans following Emancipation, but whites flipped the narrative into a stereotypical exemplar of poverty. Moore reclaims the fruit in the spirit of refined 17th-century still-lifes.
    The artist has long drawn on the culture and legacies of both Detroit and the U.S. more broadly through the lens of the Black diaspora. Earlier works like “Pillars” position Black figures in elegant dress within the vast wildernesses of the American frontier, bridging the past to explore how racial divisions continue to shape the present.
    An exhibition last summer at Grand Rapids Art Museum titled Revolutionary Times took his series A New Republic as a starting point, revisiting the history of Black Union soldiers during the Civil War.
    Moore learned that one of his ancestors, who had been enslaved as a child, later enlisted in the Union Army, spurring the artist’s exploration of the seminal mid-19th-century period of conflict and Western colonization. He positions present-day figures in contemporary dress within historical contexts, interrogating political and racial segregations.
    “Watermelon Man”, oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches
    Through tropes of European painting like a self-portrait of the artist in mirrored reflections and poses in three-quarter profile, Moore renders individuals whose direct, confident gazes and elegant dress invoke Detroit style and pride.
    For Beneath Our Feet, Brown and Moore collaborated on a five-foot-wide bas-relief bronze coin. Each artist completed one side, with Mario’s contribution taking the form of a portrait of Brown. “Her profile echoes the conventional format of traditional American coinage, confronting the historic absence of Black women in national symbolism and positions of authority,” the gallery says. On the opposite side, Brown depicts a bouquet of collard greens symbolic of nourishment and community.
    For this exhibition, Brown and Moore “reflect on the wealth held in the earth beneath us—and the enduring question of who holds the rights to till, own, and shape that land,” says an exhibition statement. Detroit is home to ambitious urban gardening initiatives that aim for local food sovereignty, mirroring the resourcefulness of Black farmers throughout history. The artists “consider land not just as property but as history, inheritance, and possibility,” the gallery says.
    Beneath Our Feet continues through July 30 in Detroit. See more on Moore’s website and Instagram.
    “International Detroit Playa: Sheefy”, oil on linen, 108 x 96 inches
    “These Are Not Yams But They Are Damn Good”, oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches
    “Creation of a Revolutionary”, oil on linen, 76 x 52 inches
    “Black”, oil on linen, 48 x 48 inches
    “Garland of Resilience”, oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches
    “Birth of Cool”, oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches
    Installation view of ‘LaKela Brown and Mario Moore: Beneath Our Feet’ at Library Street Collective, Detroit
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    #mario #moores #oil #paintings #bridge
    Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style
    “Pillars”, oil on linen, 84 x 96 inches. All images courtesy of Mario Moore and Library Street Collective, shared with permission Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style June 4, 2025 Kate Mothes In large-scale works in oil, Detroit-based artist Mario Moore taps into the legacy of European painting traditions to create bold portraits exploring the nature of veneration, self-determination, and the continuum of history. Moore’s work is currently on view in Beneath Our Feet at Library Street Collective alongside fellow Detroiter LaKela Brown. His new pieces nod to the Dutch and Flemish tradition of devotional painting, particularly religious garland paintings. Within elegant arrangements of flowers and foliage, he highlights Black figures relaxing or tending to gardens. “The Patron Saint of Urban Farming”, oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches In “Watermelon Man,” a stone altar is surrounded by hibiscus and watermelons, both symbols of resilience. Historically, the latter represented self-sufficiency and freedom for Southern African Americans following Emancipation, but whites flipped the narrative into a stereotypical exemplar of poverty. Moore reclaims the fruit in the spirit of refined 17th-century still-lifes. The artist has long drawn on the culture and legacies of both Detroit and the U.S. more broadly through the lens of the Black diaspora. Earlier works like “Pillars” position Black figures in elegant dress within the vast wildernesses of the American frontier, bridging the past to explore how racial divisions continue to shape the present. An exhibition last summer at Grand Rapids Art Museum titled Revolutionary Times took his series A New Republic as a starting point, revisiting the history of Black Union soldiers during the Civil War. Moore learned that one of his ancestors, who had been enslaved as a child, later enlisted in the Union Army, spurring the artist’s exploration of the seminal mid-19th-century period of conflict and Western colonization. He positions present-day figures in contemporary dress within historical contexts, interrogating political and racial segregations. “Watermelon Man”, oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches Through tropes of European painting like a self-portrait of the artist in mirrored reflections and poses in three-quarter profile, Moore renders individuals whose direct, confident gazes and elegant dress invoke Detroit style and pride. For Beneath Our Feet, Brown and Moore collaborated on a five-foot-wide bas-relief bronze coin. Each artist completed one side, with Mario’s contribution taking the form of a portrait of Brown. “Her profile echoes the conventional format of traditional American coinage, confronting the historic absence of Black women in national symbolism and positions of authority,” the gallery says. On the opposite side, Brown depicts a bouquet of collard greens symbolic of nourishment and community. For this exhibition, Brown and Moore “reflect on the wealth held in the earth beneath us—and the enduring question of who holds the rights to till, own, and shape that land,” says an exhibition statement. Detroit is home to ambitious urban gardening initiatives that aim for local food sovereignty, mirroring the resourcefulness of Black farmers throughout history. The artists “consider land not just as property but as history, inheritance, and possibility,” the gallery says. Beneath Our Feet continues through July 30 in Detroit. See more on Moore’s website and Instagram. “International Detroit Playa: Sheefy”, oil on linen, 108 x 96 inches “These Are Not Yams But They Are Damn Good”, oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches “Creation of a Revolutionary”, oil on linen, 76 x 52 inches “Black”, oil on linen, 48 x 48 inches “Garland of Resilience”, oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches “Birth of Cool”, oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches Installation view of ‘LaKela Brown and Mario Moore: Beneath Our Feet’ at Library Street Collective, Detroit Previous articleNext article #mario #moores #oil #paintings #bridge
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    Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style
    “Pillars” (2024), oil on linen, 84 x 96 inches. All images courtesy of Mario Moore and Library Street Collective, shared with permission Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style June 4, 2025 Kate Mothes In large-scale works in oil, Detroit-based artist Mario Moore taps into the legacy of European painting traditions to create bold portraits exploring the nature of veneration, self-determination, and the continuum of history. Moore’s work is currently on view in Beneath Our Feet at Library Street Collective alongside fellow Detroiter LaKela Brown. His new pieces nod to the Dutch and Flemish tradition of devotional painting, particularly religious garland paintings. Within elegant arrangements of flowers and foliage, he highlights Black figures relaxing or tending to gardens. “The Patron Saint of Urban Farming” (2025), oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches In “Watermelon Man,” a stone altar is surrounded by hibiscus and watermelons, both symbols of resilience. Historically, the latter represented self-sufficiency and freedom for Southern African Americans following Emancipation, but whites flipped the narrative into a stereotypical exemplar of poverty. Moore reclaims the fruit in the spirit of refined 17th-century still-lifes. The artist has long drawn on the culture and legacies of both Detroit and the U.S. more broadly through the lens of the Black diaspora. Earlier works like “Pillars” position Black figures in elegant dress within the vast wildernesses of the American frontier, bridging the past to explore how racial divisions continue to shape the present. An exhibition last summer at Grand Rapids Art Museum titled Revolutionary Times took his series A New Republic as a starting point, revisiting the history of Black Union soldiers during the Civil War. Moore learned that one of his ancestors, who had been enslaved as a child, later enlisted in the Union Army, spurring the artist’s exploration of the seminal mid-19th-century period of conflict and Western colonization. He positions present-day figures in contemporary dress within historical contexts, interrogating political and racial segregations. “Watermelon Man” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches Through tropes of European painting like a self-portrait of the artist in mirrored reflections and poses in three-quarter profile, Moore renders individuals whose direct, confident gazes and elegant dress invoke Detroit style and pride. For Beneath Our Feet, Brown and Moore collaborated on a five-foot-wide bas-relief bronze coin. Each artist completed one side, with Mario’s contribution taking the form of a portrait of Brown. “Her profile echoes the conventional format of traditional American coinage, confronting the historic absence of Black women in national symbolism and positions of authority,” the gallery says. On the opposite side, Brown depicts a bouquet of collard greens symbolic of nourishment and community. For this exhibition, Brown and Moore “reflect on the wealth held in the earth beneath us—and the enduring question of who holds the rights to till, own, and shape that land,” says an exhibition statement. Detroit is home to ambitious urban gardening initiatives that aim for local food sovereignty, mirroring the resourcefulness of Black farmers throughout history. The artists “consider land not just as property but as history, inheritance, and possibility,” the gallery says. Beneath Our Feet continues through July 30 in Detroit. See more on Moore’s website and Instagram. “International Detroit Playa: Sheefy” (2022), oil on linen, 108 x 96 inches “These Are Not Yams But They Are Damn Good” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches “Creation of a Revolutionary (Helen Moore)” (2023), oil on linen, 76 x 52 inches “Black” (2023), oil on linen, 48 x 48 inches “Garland of Resilience” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches “Birth of Cool” (2023), oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches Installation view of ‘LaKela Brown and Mario Moore: Beneath Our Feet’ at Library Street Collective, Detroit Previous articleNext article
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  • Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits

    “When We Cease To Understand The World”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 180 x 160 centimeters. All images courtesy of Damian Griffiths and BEERS London, shared with permission
    Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits
    June 4, 2025
    Art
    Grace Ebert

    A new body of work by Andrew Salgadounfurls from a central premise: we are the books we read. The artist, who works between London and New Brunswick, Canada, is literarily insatiable and considers every unread tome an opportunity of “infinite possibility.”
    At BEERS London, Salgado’s Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books presents a series of paintings that open like chapters and together, build a larger narrative. “My Year Of Rest And Relaxation” directly references Ottessa Moshfegh’s bleary novel of the same name and depicts a young protagonist inert and detached. There’s also “Véra,” which portrays a resolute Véra Nabokov writing what might be one of her since destroyed letters.
    “Véra”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 76 x 61 centimeters
    Salgado is continually interested in citation and the ways that memories and experiences layer atop and mold one another. Many of the authors he’s drawn to—Virgina Woolf, Jorge Luis Borges, and Margaret Atwood among them— “are influenced by art. By music and painting. They write about it all the time. The word is ekphrasis,” he adds. “Nabokov lists over 150 paintings in his collected works. So why shouldn’t the inverse also be true?”
    Intuitive marks of oil paint and pastel characterize Salgado’s works and seem to build up over time. Irregular stripes and circles add greater depth and dimension to patches of color delineating a dress or facial feature, leaving each scene with a certain indeterminacy. Allowing for interpretation and an array of personal references is essential to the artist’s thinking: “It’s ready for the taking. And whatever you take from it—from the books, or the paintings, or the ideas within—it’s all right. It’s all correct. There are no wrong answers,” he says.
    Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books is on view through June 28. Find more on Salgado’s website and Instagram.
    “My Year Of Rest And Relaxation”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 90 x 100 centimeters
    “St. Augustine’s Confessions”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 160 x 125 centimeters
    “Hotel Du Lac”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 152 x 117 centimeters
    “Meditations”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 150 x 120 centimeters
    “The Last Evening On Earth”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 125 x 100 centimeters
    “Beware of Pity”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 80 x 75 centimeters
    “The Aleph & Other Stories”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 216 x 164 centimeters
    Next article
    #literary #citations #abound #andrew #salgados
    Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits
    “When We Cease To Understand The World”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 180 x 160 centimeters. All images courtesy of Damian Griffiths and BEERS London, shared with permission Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits June 4, 2025 Art Grace Ebert A new body of work by Andrew Salgadounfurls from a central premise: we are the books we read. The artist, who works between London and New Brunswick, Canada, is literarily insatiable and considers every unread tome an opportunity of “infinite possibility.” At BEERS London, Salgado’s Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books presents a series of paintings that open like chapters and together, build a larger narrative. “My Year Of Rest And Relaxation” directly references Ottessa Moshfegh’s bleary novel of the same name and depicts a young protagonist inert and detached. There’s also “Véra,” which portrays a resolute Véra Nabokov writing what might be one of her since destroyed letters. “Véra”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 76 x 61 centimeters Salgado is continually interested in citation and the ways that memories and experiences layer atop and mold one another. Many of the authors he’s drawn to—Virgina Woolf, Jorge Luis Borges, and Margaret Atwood among them— “are influenced by art. By music and painting. They write about it all the time. The word is ekphrasis,” he adds. “Nabokov lists over 150 paintings in his collected works. So why shouldn’t the inverse also be true?” Intuitive marks of oil paint and pastel characterize Salgado’s works and seem to build up over time. Irregular stripes and circles add greater depth and dimension to patches of color delineating a dress or facial feature, leaving each scene with a certain indeterminacy. Allowing for interpretation and an array of personal references is essential to the artist’s thinking: “It’s ready for the taking. And whatever you take from it—from the books, or the paintings, or the ideas within—it’s all right. It’s all correct. There are no wrong answers,” he says. Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books is on view through June 28. Find more on Salgado’s website and Instagram. “My Year Of Rest And Relaxation”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 90 x 100 centimeters “St. Augustine’s Confessions”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 160 x 125 centimeters “Hotel Du Lac”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 152 x 117 centimeters “Meditations”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 150 x 120 centimeters “The Last Evening On Earth”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 125 x 100 centimeters “Beware of Pity”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 80 x 75 centimeters “The Aleph & Other Stories”, oil and oil pastel on linen, 216 x 164 centimeters Next article #literary #citations #abound #andrew #salgados
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits
    “When We Cease To Understand The World (Grothendieck’s Ghost)”(2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 180 x 160 centimeters. All images courtesy of Damian Griffiths and BEERS London, shared with permission Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits June 4, 2025 Art Grace Ebert A new body of work by Andrew Salgado (previously) unfurls from a central premise: we are the books we read. The artist, who works between London and New Brunswick, Canada, is literarily insatiable and considers every unread tome an opportunity of “infinite possibility.” At BEERS London, Salgado’s Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books presents a series of paintings that open like chapters and together, build a larger narrative. “My Year Of Rest And Relaxation” directly references Ottessa Moshfegh’s bleary novel of the same name and depicts a young protagonist inert and detached. There’s also “Véra (Please Come Over, You’re Always Welcome),” which portrays a resolute Véra Nabokov writing what might be one of her since destroyed letters. “Véra (Please Come Over, You’re Always Welcome)” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 76 x 61 centimeters Salgado is continually interested in citation and the ways that memories and experiences layer atop and mold one another. Many of the authors he’s drawn to—Virgina Woolf, Jorge Luis Borges, and Margaret Atwood among them— “are influenced by art. By music and painting. They write about it all the time. The word is ekphrasis,” he adds. “Nabokov lists over 150 paintings in his collected works. So why shouldn’t the inverse also be true?” Intuitive marks of oil paint and pastel characterize Salgado’s works and seem to build up over time. Irregular stripes and circles add greater depth and dimension to patches of color delineating a dress or facial feature, leaving each scene with a certain indeterminacy. Allowing for interpretation and an array of personal references is essential to the artist’s thinking: “It’s ready for the taking. And whatever you take from it—from the books, or the paintings, or the ideas within—it’s all right. It’s all correct. There are no wrong answers,” he says. Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books is on view through June 28. Find more on Salgado’s website and Instagram. “My Year Of Rest And Relaxation” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 90 x 100 centimeters “St. Augustine’s Confessions” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 160 x 125 centimeters “Hotel Du Lac” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 152 x 117 centimeters “Meditations” (Sayings, Speeches, Notes) (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 150 x 120 centimeters “The Last Evening On Earth” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 125 x 100 centimeters “Beware of Pity” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 80 x 75 centimeters “The Aleph & Other Stories” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 216 x 164 centimeters Next article
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  • Enigmatic Phenomena and Galactic Shapes Revolve in Shane Drinkwater’s Cosmic Systems

    All images © Shane Drinkwater, shared with permission
    Enigmatic Phenomena and Galactic Shapes Revolve in Shane Drinkwater’s Cosmic Systems
    June 2, 2025
    Art
    Kate Mothes

    For Queensland-based artist Shane Drinkwater, self-imposed restrictions provide a key starting point for works he creates in ink, pen, acrylic, and collage—always in a square format measuring about 50 by 50 centimeters. Arrows, crosses, dots, and numbers build linear elements and patterns, while primary colors provide the foundation for the occasional green or gradient.
    Drawing on a lifelong love for maps, ciphers, and astronomical charts, Drinkwater continues to explore the possibilities of fictional cosmic networks. In some pieces, concentric circles resemble diagrams of the Solar System, while in others, references to comets or esoteric systems suggest the imaginary workings of atomic phenomena or alchemical experiments.

    Drinkwater’s work was recently included in the book Elements: Chaos, Order and the Five Elemental Forces, published by Thames & Hudson. He is currently preparing work for art fairs this fall in Copenhagen and Paris, along with a group show at Gagné Contemporary in Toronto. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    Next article
    #enigmatic #phenomena #galactic #shapes #revolve
    Enigmatic Phenomena and Galactic Shapes Revolve in Shane Drinkwater’s Cosmic Systems
    All images © Shane Drinkwater, shared with permission Enigmatic Phenomena and Galactic Shapes Revolve in Shane Drinkwater’s Cosmic Systems June 2, 2025 Art Kate Mothes For Queensland-based artist Shane Drinkwater, self-imposed restrictions provide a key starting point for works he creates in ink, pen, acrylic, and collage—always in a square format measuring about 50 by 50 centimeters. Arrows, crosses, dots, and numbers build linear elements and patterns, while primary colors provide the foundation for the occasional green or gradient. Drawing on a lifelong love for maps, ciphers, and astronomical charts, Drinkwater continues to explore the possibilities of fictional cosmic networks. In some pieces, concentric circles resemble diagrams of the Solar System, while in others, references to comets or esoteric systems suggest the imaginary workings of atomic phenomena or alchemical experiments. Drinkwater’s work was recently included in the book Elements: Chaos, Order and the Five Elemental Forces, published by Thames & Hudson. He is currently preparing work for art fairs this fall in Copenhagen and Paris, along with a group show at Gagné Contemporary in Toronto. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram. Next article #enigmatic #phenomena #galactic #shapes #revolve
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Enigmatic Phenomena and Galactic Shapes Revolve in Shane Drinkwater’s Cosmic Systems
    All images © Shane Drinkwater, shared with permission Enigmatic Phenomena and Galactic Shapes Revolve in Shane Drinkwater’s Cosmic Systems June 2, 2025 Art Kate Mothes For Queensland-based artist Shane Drinkwater, self-imposed restrictions provide a key starting point for works he creates in ink, pen, acrylic, and collage—always in a square format measuring about 50 by 50 centimeters. Arrows, crosses, dots, and numbers build linear elements and patterns, while primary colors provide the foundation for the occasional green or gradient. Drawing on a lifelong love for maps, ciphers, and astronomical charts, Drinkwater continues to explore the possibilities of fictional cosmic networks (previously). In some pieces, concentric circles resemble diagrams of the Solar System, while in others, references to comets or esoteric systems suggest the imaginary workings of atomic phenomena or alchemical experiments. Drinkwater’s work was recently included in the book Elements: Chaos, Order and the Five Elemental Forces, published by Thames & Hudson. He is currently preparing work for art fairs this fall in Copenhagen and Paris, along with a group show at Gagné Contemporary in Toronto. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram. Next article
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  • Dr. Ella Hawkins Reimagines Ancient Artifacts and Prized Objects as Edible Replicas

    William Morris Biscuit Set. All images courtesy of Ella Hawkins, shared with permission
    Dr. Ella Hawkins Reimagines Ancient Artifacts and Prized Objects as Edible Replicas
    May 31, 2025
    Grace Ebert

    Academic research is notoriously niche and often opaque, but Dr. Ella Hawkins has found a crowd-pleasing way to share her studies. The Birmingham-based artist and design historian translates her interests in Shakespeare performance, costume, and matieral culture into edible replicas.
    Hawkins bakes batches of cookies that she tops with royal icing. Decorating takes a scholarly turn, as she uses tiny paintbrushes and a mini projector to help trace imagery of William Morris’ ornate floral motifs or coastal scenes from English delftware. Rendering a design on a single cookie can take anywhere between two and four hours, depending on the complexity. Unsurprisingly, minuscule calligraphy and portraits are most demanding.
    Ancient Greek Pottery Sherds
    Hawkins first merged baking and her research about a decade ago while studying undergraduate costume design at the University of Warwick. She decided to bake cupcakes based on Shakespeare productions that her class examined. “It felt like a fun way to look back at all the different design styles we’d covered through the year,” she tells Colossal, adding:

    I carried on decorating cakes and cookies based on costume design through my PhD, then branched out and spent lots of time doing cookie versions of other artefacts to keep busy during the pandemic.

    She has since published an academic book on the topic and is a senior lecturer at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. But she also continues to translate artifacts and prized objects held within museum collections into delicious canvases.
    There’s a set made in collaboration with Milton’s Cottage, a museum in the country house where John Milton finished his epic Paradise Lost. Anchored by a delicately crosshatched portrait evoking that of the frontispiece, the collection contains typographic titles and signs that appear straight from a 17th-century book.
    Delftware Tiles
    Hawkins ventures farther back in history to ancient Greece with a collection of pottery sherds inspired by objects within the Ashmolean Museum. With a bowed surface to mimic a vessel’s curvature, the irregular shapes feature fragments of various motifs and figures to which she applied a sgraffito technique, a Renaissance method of scratching a surface to reveal the layer below.
    The weathered appearance is the result of blotting a base of pale brown-grey before using a scribe tool to scratch and crack the royal icing coating the surface. She then lined these etchings with a mix of vodka and black food coloring to mimic dirt and wear.Other than a select few preserved for talks and events, Hawkins assures us that the rest of her cookies are eaten. Find more of her work on her website and Instagram.
    Medieval Tiles, inspired by The Tristram Tiles, Chertsey, Surrey, EnglandMilton’s Cottage Biscuit Set developed in collaboration with Milton’s Cottage
    Outlander Biscuit Set
    Elizabethan Gauntlet Biscuit Set
    Next article
    #ella #hawkins #reimagines #ancient #artifacts
    Dr. Ella Hawkins Reimagines Ancient Artifacts and Prized Objects as Edible Replicas
    William Morris Biscuit Set. All images courtesy of Ella Hawkins, shared with permission Dr. Ella Hawkins Reimagines Ancient Artifacts and Prized Objects as Edible Replicas May 31, 2025 Grace Ebert Academic research is notoriously niche and often opaque, but Dr. Ella Hawkins has found a crowd-pleasing way to share her studies. The Birmingham-based artist and design historian translates her interests in Shakespeare performance, costume, and matieral culture into edible replicas. Hawkins bakes batches of cookies that she tops with royal icing. Decorating takes a scholarly turn, as she uses tiny paintbrushes and a mini projector to help trace imagery of William Morris’ ornate floral motifs or coastal scenes from English delftware. Rendering a design on a single cookie can take anywhere between two and four hours, depending on the complexity. Unsurprisingly, minuscule calligraphy and portraits are most demanding. Ancient Greek Pottery Sherds Hawkins first merged baking and her research about a decade ago while studying undergraduate costume design at the University of Warwick. She decided to bake cupcakes based on Shakespeare productions that her class examined. “It felt like a fun way to look back at all the different design styles we’d covered through the year,” she tells Colossal, adding: I carried on decorating cakes and cookies based on costume design through my PhD, then branched out and spent lots of time doing cookie versions of other artefacts to keep busy during the pandemic. She has since published an academic book on the topic and is a senior lecturer at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. But she also continues to translate artifacts and prized objects held within museum collections into delicious canvases. There’s a set made in collaboration with Milton’s Cottage, a museum in the country house where John Milton finished his epic Paradise Lost. Anchored by a delicately crosshatched portrait evoking that of the frontispiece, the collection contains typographic titles and signs that appear straight from a 17th-century book. Delftware Tiles Hawkins ventures farther back in history to ancient Greece with a collection of pottery sherds inspired by objects within the Ashmolean Museum. With a bowed surface to mimic a vessel’s curvature, the irregular shapes feature fragments of various motifs and figures to which she applied a sgraffito technique, a Renaissance method of scratching a surface to reveal the layer below. The weathered appearance is the result of blotting a base of pale brown-grey before using a scribe tool to scratch and crack the royal icing coating the surface. She then lined these etchings with a mix of vodka and black food coloring to mimic dirt and wear.Other than a select few preserved for talks and events, Hawkins assures us that the rest of her cookies are eaten. Find more of her work on her website and Instagram. Medieval Tiles, inspired by The Tristram Tiles, Chertsey, Surrey, EnglandMilton’s Cottage Biscuit Set developed in collaboration with Milton’s Cottage Outlander Biscuit Set Elizabethan Gauntlet Biscuit Set Next article #ella #hawkins #reimagines #ancient #artifacts
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Dr. Ella Hawkins Reimagines Ancient Artifacts and Prized Objects as Edible Replicas
    William Morris Biscuit Set. All images courtesy of Ella Hawkins, shared with permission Dr. Ella Hawkins Reimagines Ancient Artifacts and Prized Objects as Edible Replicas May 31, 2025 Grace Ebert Academic research is notoriously niche and often opaque, but Dr. Ella Hawkins has found a crowd-pleasing way to share her studies. The Birmingham-based artist and design historian translates her interests in Shakespeare performance, costume, and matieral culture into edible replicas. Hawkins bakes batches of cookies that she tops with royal icing. Decorating takes a scholarly turn, as she uses tiny paintbrushes and a mini projector to help trace imagery of William Morris’ ornate floral motifs or coastal scenes from English delftware. Rendering a design on a single cookie can take anywhere between two and four hours, depending on the complexity. Unsurprisingly, minuscule calligraphy and portraits are most demanding. Ancient Greek Pottery Sherds Hawkins first merged baking and her research about a decade ago while studying undergraduate costume design at the University of Warwick. She decided to bake cupcakes based on Shakespeare productions that her class examined. “It felt like a fun way to look back at all the different design styles we’d covered through the year,” she tells Colossal, adding: I carried on decorating cakes and cookies based on costume design through my PhD (mainly as goodies to give out during talks, or as gifts for designers that I interviewed), then branched out and spent lots of time doing cookie versions of other artefacts to keep busy during the pandemic. She has since published an academic book on the topic and is a senior lecturer at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. But she also continues to translate artifacts and prized objects held within museum collections into delicious canvases. There’s a set made in collaboration with Milton’s Cottage, a museum in the country house where John Milton finished his epic Paradise Lost. Anchored by a delicately crosshatched portrait evoking that of the frontispiece, the collection contains typographic titles and signs that appear straight from a 17th-century book. Delftware Tiles Hawkins ventures farther back in history to ancient Greece with a collection of pottery sherds inspired by objects within the Ashmolean Museum. With a bowed surface to mimic a vessel’s curvature, the irregular shapes feature fragments of various motifs and figures to which she applied a sgraffito technique, a Renaissance method of scratching a surface to reveal the layer below. The weathered appearance is the result of blotting a base of pale brown-grey before using a scribe tool to scratch and crack the royal icing coating the surface. She then lined these etchings with a mix of vodka and black food coloring to mimic dirt and wear. (It’s worth taking a look at this process video.) Other than a select few preserved for talks and events, Hawkins assures us that the rest of her cookies are eaten. Find more of her work on her website and Instagram. Medieval Tiles, inspired by The Tristram Tiles, Chertsey, Surrey, England (c. 1260s-70s) Milton’s Cottage Biscuit Set developed in collaboration with Milton’s Cottage Outlander Biscuit Set Elizabethan Gauntlet Biscuit Set Next article
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  • In ‘Of the Oak,’ a Magnificent Tree at Kew Gardens Gets an Immersive ‘Digital Double’

    All images courtesy of Marshmallow Laser Feast, courtesy of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, shared with permission
    In ‘Of the Oak,’ a Magnificent Tree at Kew Gardens Gets an Immersive ‘Digital Double’
    May 30, 2025
    Kate Mothes

    “We believe in the power of stories to tickle senses and shift perceptions,” says Marshmallow Laser Feast, an experiential artist collective merging art, extended reality, and film into large-scale, immersive exhibitions.
    MLF’s latest work, Of the Oak, situates a monumental, six-meter-tall, double-sided video of the titular tree in London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The piece focuses on the garden’s Lucombe oak, portraying a “digital double” using real-world data.
    Photo by Barney Steel
    MLF collaborated with researchers from Kew to create a vibrant, scientific rendering, blending advanced technologies with artistic imagery. The team stitched together thousands of images, used LiDAR to map the tree’s form with laser pulses, CT-scanned soil samples, employed ground-penetrating radar to trace the root system, and recorded a series of 24-hour soundtracks.
    “Of the Oak is a celebration for the oak tree as a living monument of vital ecological relationships and species interdependence,” MLF says. “It is an invitation to witness the oak as a keystone in the web of life, majestic and unassuming, stretching its branches skyward and its roots deep into the soil, embodying both quiet strength and boundless generosity.”
    Visitors can access a stunning digital field guide on their phones or via desktop from anywhere, featuring a series of meditations that “tune into the invisible bond between humans and trees.” The app also includes an interactive species guide highlighting the diverse range of birds, insects, fungi, and other inhabitants that rely on oak trees for survival.
    Of the Oak continues at Kew through September 28. Marshmallow Laser Feast is also currently presenting an immersive, seven-room exhibition titled YOU:MATTER at the National Science and Media Museum as part of Bradford 2025 U.K. City of Culture. See more projects on the collective’s website.

    Photo by Sandra Ciampon
    Photo by Barney Steel
    Previous articleNext article
    #oak #magnificent #tree #kew #gardens
    In ‘Of the Oak,’ a Magnificent Tree at Kew Gardens Gets an Immersive ‘Digital Double’
    All images courtesy of Marshmallow Laser Feast, courtesy of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, shared with permission In ‘Of the Oak,’ a Magnificent Tree at Kew Gardens Gets an Immersive ‘Digital Double’ May 30, 2025 Kate Mothes “We believe in the power of stories to tickle senses and shift perceptions,” says Marshmallow Laser Feast, an experiential artist collective merging art, extended reality, and film into large-scale, immersive exhibitions. MLF’s latest work, Of the Oak, situates a monumental, six-meter-tall, double-sided video of the titular tree in London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The piece focuses on the garden’s Lucombe oak, portraying a “digital double” using real-world data. Photo by Barney Steel MLF collaborated with researchers from Kew to create a vibrant, scientific rendering, blending advanced technologies with artistic imagery. The team stitched together thousands of images, used LiDAR to map the tree’s form with laser pulses, CT-scanned soil samples, employed ground-penetrating radar to trace the root system, and recorded a series of 24-hour soundtracks. “Of the Oak is a celebration for the oak tree as a living monument of vital ecological relationships and species interdependence,” MLF says. “It is an invitation to witness the oak as a keystone in the web of life, majestic and unassuming, stretching its branches skyward and its roots deep into the soil, embodying both quiet strength and boundless generosity.” Visitors can access a stunning digital field guide on their phones or via desktop from anywhere, featuring a series of meditations that “tune into the invisible bond between humans and trees.” The app also includes an interactive species guide highlighting the diverse range of birds, insects, fungi, and other inhabitants that rely on oak trees for survival. Of the Oak continues at Kew through September 28. Marshmallow Laser Feast is also currently presenting an immersive, seven-room exhibition titled YOU:MATTER at the National Science and Media Museum as part of Bradford 2025 U.K. City of Culture. See more projects on the collective’s website. Photo by Sandra Ciampon Photo by Barney Steel Previous articleNext article #oak #magnificent #tree #kew #gardens
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    In ‘Of the Oak,’ a Magnificent Tree at Kew Gardens Gets an Immersive ‘Digital Double’
    All images courtesy of Marshmallow Laser Feast, courtesy of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, shared with permission In ‘Of the Oak,’ a Magnificent Tree at Kew Gardens Gets an Immersive ‘Digital Double’ May 30, 2025 Kate Mothes “We believe in the power of stories to tickle senses and shift perceptions,” says Marshmallow Laser Feast, an experiential artist collective merging art, extended reality (XR), and film into large-scale, immersive exhibitions. MLF’s latest work, Of the Oak, situates a monumental, six-meter-tall, double-sided video of the titular tree in London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The piece focuses on the garden’s Lucombe oak, portraying a “digital double” using real-world data. Photo by Barney Steel MLF collaborated with researchers from Kew to create a vibrant, scientific rendering, blending advanced technologies with artistic imagery. The team stitched together thousands of images, used LiDAR to map the tree’s form with laser pulses, CT-scanned soil samples, employed ground-penetrating radar to trace the root system, and recorded a series of 24-hour soundtracks. “Of the Oak is a celebration for the oak tree as a living monument of vital ecological relationships and species interdependence,” MLF says. “It is an invitation to witness the oak as a keystone in the web of life, majestic and unassuming, stretching its branches skyward and its roots deep into the soil, embodying both quiet strength and boundless generosity.” Visitors can access a stunning digital field guide on their phones or via desktop from anywhere, featuring a series of meditations that “tune into the invisible bond between humans and trees.” The app also includes an interactive species guide highlighting the diverse range of birds, insects, fungi, and other inhabitants that rely on oak trees for survival. Of the Oak continues at Kew through September 28. Marshmallow Laser Feast is also currently presenting an immersive, seven-room exhibition titled YOU:MATTER at the National Science and Media Museum as part of Bradford 2025 U.K. City of Culture. See more projects on the collective’s website. Photo by Sandra Ciampon Photo by Barney Steel Previous articleNext article
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  • June 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists

    Michalina Janoszanka, “Motyl”. Image courtesy of Public Domain Review
    June 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists
    May 30, 2025
    Opportunities
    Colossal

    Every month, we share opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. Make sure you never miss out by joining our monthly Opportunities Newsletter.
    Innovate Grant awards two grants each quarter to one visual artist and one photographer. In addition, twelve applicants will receive honorable mentions, be featured on the website, and join a growing community. International artists and photographers working in any medium are eligible.Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on June 26, 2025.Open Calls
    Artadia AwardsArtists receive unrestricted funds of and honoraria will also be provided to finalists.Deadline: June 1, 2025.Artists are welcome to submit proposals for temporary, site-specific public art projects to be showcased throughout Nashville during the Artville festival weekend, September 26 to 28, 2025. Selected artists will be invited to accept a grant to bring their creative visions to life, plus the chance for a cash prize. Total cash prizes equal Deadline: June 4, 2025.Women in Watercolor International Juried CompetitionDeadline: June 8, 2025.
    The Vilcek Foundation will award six prizes to young immigrants working in fashion curation, material innovation, makeup, hair, writing, curation, styling, design, and photography. on Colossal.Deadline: June 9, 2025.Art Renewal Center Salon CompetitionDeadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on June 12, 2025.
    Weather Photographer of the YearHosted by the Royal Meteorological Society, this competition showcases the world’s most striking weather and climate photographs and raises awareness about the environmental issues putting our planet at risk. Open to photographers of all ages and abilities, the contest offers a £5,000 cash prize.Deadline: June 19, 2025.AAP Magazine #49 B&W Photography Open CallThe contest is open to any interpretation of black-and-white photography. Winners will receive and their winning imageor full portfolio published in AAP Magazine, vol. 49, There is a entry fee for the first three images, plus for each additional image.Deadline: June 24, 2025.Midwest OpenThe Midwest Open is Woman Made Gallery’s annual exhibition highlighting women and nonbinary artists living in the Midwest. All media and subject matter are eligible, and cash prizes range from to There is a submission fee.Deadline: June 28, 2025.Makers, artists, and crafters are eligible to submit works that demonstrate technical mastery and a connection to cultural tradition through a singular, one-of-a-kind handcrafted piece. The winner will receive and four finalists will also receive grant funding.Deadline: June 30, 2025.16th Epson International Pano AwardsThis panoramic photography contest is open for entries and offering more than in cash and prizes. There is an entry fee.Deadline: July 21, 2025.Grants
    Art Fluent Evolution GrantArt Fluent awards a grant to one visual artist each cycle. The unrestricted funds may be applied toward any expense to enhance the artist’s ability to create work. There is a entry fee.Deadline: June 6, 2025.Get Ready Grants provide craft artists with up to for activities to safeguard their studios, protect their practices, and prepare for emergencies. Priority is given to applicants who have been underrepresented in the craft community, including BIPOC and folk/traditional artists.Deadline: June 10, 2025.Ian Potter Cultural Trust Emerging Artist GrantsTwo funding rounds annually are open to individual artists working across disciplines who can apply for grants of up to AUD This round funds travel or projects that commence after September 19, 2025.Deadline: June 17, 2025.Grants for Artists’ ProgressThis program offers 65 unrestricted grants of for artists working in all disciplines across Washington State.Deadline: June 23, 2025.This grant is designed to highlight an existing body of work by a Black trans woman visual artist. Four finalists will also receive Deadline: July 2, 2025.Liu Shiming Art Foundation’s Artist GrantsEach year, the Liu Shiming Art Foundation selects up to five artists to receive a grant. Visual artists working for at least two yearsare invited to apply for a grant in support of a current or new project.Deadline: August 21, 2025.Vital Impacts offers one grant to an established environmental photographer, along with six grants to emerging photographers from around the world. These funds are specifically earmarked for the development of documentary projects focusing on environmental stories.Deadline: September 15, 2025.The Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Emergency GrantThis program provides one-time financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs resulted from an unforeseen catastrophic incident and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Awardees typically receive up to Deadline: Rolling.This fund commissions visual artists to create company projects on a rolling basis. Awardees will receive between and Deadline: Rolling.Pollock-Krasner Foundation GrantThe foundation welcomes applications from painters, sculptors, and artists working on paper, including printmakers. Grants are intended for one year and range up to The artist’s circumstances determine the size of the grant, and professional exhibition history will be considered.Deadline: Rolling.Residencies, Fellowships, & More
    The Farm Margaret River ResidencyThis five- to eight-week residency is geared toward site-responsive projects and engagement with the land. Residents receive a stipend, studio space, accommodations, and travel assistance.Deadline: 5 p.m. AWST on June 2, 2025.Wassaic Project 2026 Residency ProgramWassaic Project is accepting proposals for the 2026 summer and winter residencies. Artists receive a semi-private studio space; private room in a shared house; access to a wood shop, print shop, and kiln; staff support; and programming such as our visiting artist program, artist talks, studio visits, open studios, artist presentations, etc. The residency fee is and fellowships are available. There is a entry fee.Deadline: June 2, 2025.Headlands Center for the Art Artist-in-ResidenceResidencies of four to ten weeks include studio space, chef-prepared meals, housing, travel, and living expenses. Artists selected for this program are at all career stages and work in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary, social practice, arts professions, and architecture. There is a application fee.Deadline: June 2, 2025.Banff Centre Artist in Residence – Winter 2026Individual and duo visual artists at any stage of their career are eligible for this residency, which offers focus in a supportive learning environment. During five weeks, participants are encouraged to self-direct their research and time and cultivate new directions. Studio space is provided.Deadline: June 11, 2025.Prairie Ronde Artist ResidencyThese five- to six-week residencies offer a stipend, travel grant, and housing to artists interested in interacting with the former Lee Paper Company mill in Vicksburg, Michigan. There is a application fee.Deadline: June 15, 2025.Stove Works ResidencyThis program invites eight residents for one to three months. Six studios are designed for artists who require significant space in their practice, while the other two are for writers, curators, and academics. There is a application fee. Deadline: June 15, 2025.Women’s Studio WorkshopWSW is accepting applications for two programs: A studio residency open to artists working in intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics; and an education residency for artists interested in working with local students. Both tracks offer studio space and housing.Deadline: June 15, 2025.Artists, ecological scientists, and scholars wanting to explore connections to nature, land conservation, historic preservation, agriculture, and community building are invited to apply for this program. Studio space, accommodations, a per week stipend, and more are provided.Deadline: 5 p.m. PST on June 20, 2025.Peters Valley School of Craft ResidencyThis program is open to artists working in blacksmithing, ceramics, fibers, jewelry and fine metals, wood, and printmaking. Residents spend two weeks or one month in fully equipped studios, receive a or stipend, and are offered housing. There is a application fee.Deadline: July 1, 2025.Penland School of CraftDeadline: July 2, 2025.
    The Kyoto RetreatArtists, curators, and writers are eligible for this four-week retreat in Kyoto for research, exploration, and inspiration. Chosen applicants receive a round-trip flight, a private bedroom, and to supplement meals and local transportation.Deadline: July 15, 2025.If you’d like to list an opportunity, please contact .
    Next article
    #june #opportunities #open #calls #residencies
    June 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists
    Michalina Janoszanka, “Motyl”. Image courtesy of Public Domain Review June 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists May 30, 2025 Opportunities Colossal Every month, we share opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. Make sure you never miss out by joining our monthly Opportunities Newsletter. Innovate Grant awards two grants each quarter to one visual artist and one photographer. In addition, twelve applicants will receive honorable mentions, be featured on the website, and join a growing community. International artists and photographers working in any medium are eligible.Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on June 26, 2025.Open Calls Artadia AwardsArtists receive unrestricted funds of and honoraria will also be provided to finalists.Deadline: June 1, 2025.Artists are welcome to submit proposals for temporary, site-specific public art projects to be showcased throughout Nashville during the Artville festival weekend, September 26 to 28, 2025. Selected artists will be invited to accept a grant to bring their creative visions to life, plus the chance for a cash prize. Total cash prizes equal Deadline: June 4, 2025.Women in Watercolor International Juried CompetitionDeadline: June 8, 2025. The Vilcek Foundation will award six prizes to young immigrants working in fashion curation, material innovation, makeup, hair, writing, curation, styling, design, and photography. on Colossal.Deadline: June 9, 2025.Art Renewal Center Salon CompetitionDeadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on June 12, 2025. Weather Photographer of the YearHosted by the Royal Meteorological Society, this competition showcases the world’s most striking weather and climate photographs and raises awareness about the environmental issues putting our planet at risk. Open to photographers of all ages and abilities, the contest offers a £5,000 cash prize.Deadline: June 19, 2025.AAP Magazine #49 B&W Photography Open CallThe contest is open to any interpretation of black-and-white photography. Winners will receive and their winning imageor full portfolio published in AAP Magazine, vol. 49, There is a entry fee for the first three images, plus for each additional image.Deadline: June 24, 2025.Midwest OpenThe Midwest Open is Woman Made Gallery’s annual exhibition highlighting women and nonbinary artists living in the Midwest. All media and subject matter are eligible, and cash prizes range from to There is a submission fee.Deadline: June 28, 2025.Makers, artists, and crafters are eligible to submit works that demonstrate technical mastery and a connection to cultural tradition through a singular, one-of-a-kind handcrafted piece. The winner will receive and four finalists will also receive grant funding.Deadline: June 30, 2025.16th Epson International Pano AwardsThis panoramic photography contest is open for entries and offering more than in cash and prizes. There is an entry fee.Deadline: July 21, 2025.Grants Art Fluent Evolution GrantArt Fluent awards a grant to one visual artist each cycle. The unrestricted funds may be applied toward any expense to enhance the artist’s ability to create work. There is a entry fee.Deadline: June 6, 2025.Get Ready Grants provide craft artists with up to for activities to safeguard their studios, protect their practices, and prepare for emergencies. Priority is given to applicants who have been underrepresented in the craft community, including BIPOC and folk/traditional artists.Deadline: June 10, 2025.Ian Potter Cultural Trust Emerging Artist GrantsTwo funding rounds annually are open to individual artists working across disciplines who can apply for grants of up to AUD This round funds travel or projects that commence after September 19, 2025.Deadline: June 17, 2025.Grants for Artists’ ProgressThis program offers 65 unrestricted grants of for artists working in all disciplines across Washington State.Deadline: June 23, 2025.This grant is designed to highlight an existing body of work by a Black trans woman visual artist. Four finalists will also receive Deadline: July 2, 2025.Liu Shiming Art Foundation’s Artist GrantsEach year, the Liu Shiming Art Foundation selects up to five artists to receive a grant. Visual artists working for at least two yearsare invited to apply for a grant in support of a current or new project.Deadline: August 21, 2025.Vital Impacts offers one grant to an established environmental photographer, along with six grants to emerging photographers from around the world. These funds are specifically earmarked for the development of documentary projects focusing on environmental stories.Deadline: September 15, 2025.The Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Emergency GrantThis program provides one-time financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs resulted from an unforeseen catastrophic incident and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Awardees typically receive up to Deadline: Rolling.This fund commissions visual artists to create company projects on a rolling basis. Awardees will receive between and Deadline: Rolling.Pollock-Krasner Foundation GrantThe foundation welcomes applications from painters, sculptors, and artists working on paper, including printmakers. Grants are intended for one year and range up to The artist’s circumstances determine the size of the grant, and professional exhibition history will be considered.Deadline: Rolling.Residencies, Fellowships, & More The Farm Margaret River ResidencyThis five- to eight-week residency is geared toward site-responsive projects and engagement with the land. Residents receive a stipend, studio space, accommodations, and travel assistance.Deadline: 5 p.m. AWST on June 2, 2025.Wassaic Project 2026 Residency ProgramWassaic Project is accepting proposals for the 2026 summer and winter residencies. Artists receive a semi-private studio space; private room in a shared house; access to a wood shop, print shop, and kiln; staff support; and programming such as our visiting artist program, artist talks, studio visits, open studios, artist presentations, etc. The residency fee is and fellowships are available. There is a entry fee.Deadline: June 2, 2025.Headlands Center for the Art Artist-in-ResidenceResidencies of four to ten weeks include studio space, chef-prepared meals, housing, travel, and living expenses. Artists selected for this program are at all career stages and work in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary, social practice, arts professions, and architecture. There is a application fee.Deadline: June 2, 2025.Banff Centre Artist in Residence – Winter 2026Individual and duo visual artists at any stage of their career are eligible for this residency, which offers focus in a supportive learning environment. During five weeks, participants are encouraged to self-direct their research and time and cultivate new directions. Studio space is provided.Deadline: June 11, 2025.Prairie Ronde Artist ResidencyThese five- to six-week residencies offer a stipend, travel grant, and housing to artists interested in interacting with the former Lee Paper Company mill in Vicksburg, Michigan. There is a application fee.Deadline: June 15, 2025.Stove Works ResidencyThis program invites eight residents for one to three months. Six studios are designed for artists who require significant space in their practice, while the other two are for writers, curators, and academics. There is a application fee. Deadline: June 15, 2025.Women’s Studio WorkshopWSW is accepting applications for two programs: A studio residency open to artists working in intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics; and an education residency for artists interested in working with local students. Both tracks offer studio space and housing.Deadline: June 15, 2025.Artists, ecological scientists, and scholars wanting to explore connections to nature, land conservation, historic preservation, agriculture, and community building are invited to apply for this program. Studio space, accommodations, a per week stipend, and more are provided.Deadline: 5 p.m. PST on June 20, 2025.Peters Valley School of Craft ResidencyThis program is open to artists working in blacksmithing, ceramics, fibers, jewelry and fine metals, wood, and printmaking. Residents spend two weeks or one month in fully equipped studios, receive a or stipend, and are offered housing. There is a application fee.Deadline: July 1, 2025.Penland School of CraftDeadline: July 2, 2025. The Kyoto RetreatArtists, curators, and writers are eligible for this four-week retreat in Kyoto for research, exploration, and inspiration. Chosen applicants receive a round-trip flight, a private bedroom, and to supplement meals and local transportation.Deadline: July 15, 2025.If you’d like to list an opportunity, please contact . Next article #june #opportunities #open #calls #residencies
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    June 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists
    Michalina Janoszanka, “Motyl (Butterfly)” (ca. 1920s). Image courtesy of Public Domain Review June 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists May 30, 2025 Opportunities Colossal Every month, we share opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. Make sure you never miss out by joining our monthly Opportunities Newsletter. Innovate Grant awards two $1,800 grants each quarter to one visual artist and one photographer. In addition, twelve applicants will receive honorable mentions, be featured on the website, and join a growing community. International artists and photographers working in any medium are eligible.Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on June 26, 2025.Open Calls Artadia Awards (San Francisco Bay area) Artists receive unrestricted funds of $15,000, and honoraria will also be provided to finalists.Deadline: June 1, 2025.Artists are welcome to submit proposals for temporary, site-specific public art projects to be showcased throughout Nashville during the Artville festival weekend, September 26 to 28, 2025. Selected artists will be invited to accept a grant to bring their creative visions to life, plus the chance for a cash prize. Total cash prizes equal $10,000.Deadline: June 4, 2025.Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition (International)Deadline: June 8, 2025. The Vilcek Foundation will award six $50,000 prizes to young immigrants working in fashion curation, material innovation, makeup, hair, writing, curation, styling, design, and photography. Read more on Colossal.Deadline: June 9, 2025.Art Renewal Center Salon Competition (International)Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on June 12, 2025. Weather Photographer of the Year (International) Hosted by the Royal Meteorological Society, this competition showcases the world’s most striking weather and climate photographs and raises awareness about the environmental issues putting our planet at risk. Open to photographers of all ages and abilities, the contest offers a £5,000 cash prize.Deadline: June 19, 2025.AAP Magazine #49 B&W Photography Open Call (International) The contest is open to any interpretation of black-and-white photography. Winners will receive $1,000 and their winning image(s) or full portfolio published in AAP Magazine, vol. 49, There is a $35 entry fee for the first three images, plus $5 for each additional image.Deadline: June 24, 2025.Midwest Open (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) The Midwest Open is Woman Made Gallery’s annual exhibition highlighting women and nonbinary artists living in the Midwest. All media and subject matter are eligible, and cash prizes range from $100 to $300. There is a $35 submission fee.Deadline: June 28, 2025.Makers, artists, and crafters are eligible to submit works that demonstrate technical mastery and a connection to cultural tradition through a singular, one-of-a-kind handcrafted piece. The winner will receive $25,000, and four finalists will also receive grant funding.Deadline: June 30, 2025.16th Epson International Pano Awards (International) This panoramic photography contest is open for entries and offering more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. There is an $18 entry fee.Deadline: July 21, 2025.Grants Art Fluent Evolution Grant (International) Art Fluent awards a $1,000 grant to one visual artist each cycle. The unrestricted funds may be applied toward any expense to enhance the artist’s ability to create work. There is a $35 entry fee.Deadline: June 6, 2025.Get Ready Grants provide craft artists with up to $1,000 for activities to safeguard their studios, protect their practices, and prepare for emergencies. Priority is given to applicants who have been underrepresented in the craft community, including BIPOC and folk/traditional artists.Deadline: June 10, 2025.Ian Potter Cultural Trust Emerging Artist Grants (Australia) Two funding rounds annually are open to individual artists working across disciplines who can apply for grants of up to AUD $15,000. This round funds travel or projects that commence after September 19, 2025.Deadline: June 17, 2025.Grants for Artists’ Progress (Washington State) This program offers 65 unrestricted grants of $1,500 for artists working in all disciplines across Washington State.Deadline: June 23, 2025.This $10,000 grant is designed to highlight an existing body of work by a Black trans woman visual artist. Four finalists will also receive $1,250.Deadline: July 2, 2025.Liu Shiming Art Foundation’s Artist Grants (International) Each year, the Liu Shiming Art Foundation selects up to five artists to receive a $5,000 grant. Visual artists working for at least two years (but not more than 10) are invited to apply for a grant in support of a current or new project.Deadline: August 21, 2025.Vital Impacts offers one $20,000 grant to an established environmental photographer, along with six $5,000 grants to emerging photographers from around the world. These funds are specifically earmarked for the development of documentary projects focusing on environmental stories.Deadline: September 15, 2025.The Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant (International) This program provides one-time financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs resulted from an unforeseen catastrophic incident and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Awardees typically receive $5,000, up to $15,000.Deadline: Rolling.This fund commissions visual artists to create company projects on a rolling basis. Awardees will receive between $500 and $5,000.Deadline: Rolling.Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (International) The foundation welcomes applications from painters, sculptors, and artists working on paper, including printmakers. Grants are intended for one year and range up to $50,000. The artist’s circumstances determine the size of the grant, and professional exhibition history will be considered.Deadline: Rolling.Residencies, Fellowships, & More The Farm Margaret River Residency (International) This five- to eight-week residency is geared toward site-responsive projects and engagement with the land. Residents receive a $7,500 stipend, studio space, accommodations, and travel assistance.Deadline: 5 p.m. AWST on June 2, 2025.Wassaic Project 2026 Residency Program (International) Wassaic Project is accepting proposals for the 2026 summer and winter residencies. Artists receive a semi-private studio space; private room in a shared house (the Family program receives a private house); access to a wood shop, print shop, and kiln; staff support; and programming such as our visiting artist program, artist talks, studio visits, open studios, artist presentations, etc. The residency fee is $900, and fellowships are available. There is a $25 entry fee.Deadline: June 2, 2025.Headlands Center for the Art Artist-in-Residence (International) Residencies of four to ten weeks include studio space, chef-prepared meals, housing, travel, and living expenses. Artists selected for this program are at all career stages and work in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary, social practice, arts professions, and architecture. There is a $45 application fee.Deadline: June 2, 2025.Banff Centre Artist in Residence – Winter 2026 (International) Individual and duo visual artists at any stage of their career are eligible for this residency, which offers focus in a supportive learning environment. During five weeks, participants are encouraged to self-direct their research and time and cultivate new directions. Studio space is provided.Deadline: June 11, 2025.Prairie Ronde Artist Residency (International) These five- to six-week residencies offer a $2,000 stipend, $500 travel grant, and housing to artists interested in interacting with the former Lee Paper Company mill in Vicksburg, Michigan. There is a $25 application fee.Deadline: June 15, 2025.Stove Works Residency (International) This program invites eight residents for one to three months. Six studios are designed for artists who require significant space in their practice, while the other two are for writers, curators, and academics. There is a $30 application fee. Deadline: June 15, 2025.Women’s Studio Workshop (International) WSW is accepting applications for two programs: A studio residency open to artists working in intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics; and an education residency for artists interested in working with local students. Both tracks offer studio space and housing.Deadline: June 15, 2025.Artists, ecological scientists, and scholars wanting to explore connections to nature, land conservation, historic preservation, agriculture, and community building are invited to apply for this program. Studio space, accommodations, a $200 per week stipend, and more are provided.Deadline: 5 p.m. PST on June 20, 2025.Peters Valley School of Craft Residency (International) This program is open to artists working in blacksmithing, ceramics, fibers, jewelry and fine metals, wood, and printmaking. Residents spend two weeks or one month in fully equipped studios, receive a $500 or $1,000 stipend, and are offered housing. There is a $10 application fee.Deadline: July 1, 2025.Penland School of Craft (International)Deadline: July 2, 2025. The Kyoto Retreat (International) Artists, curators, and writers are eligible for this four-week retreat in Kyoto for research, exploration, and inspiration. Chosen applicants receive a round-trip flight, a private bedroom, and $800 to supplement meals and local transportation.Deadline: July 15, 2025.If you’d like to list an opportunity, please contact [email protected]. Next article
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  • Firebelly x Good Chaos: How an Ongoing Partnership Influenced a Joyful Identity

    Liz’s work instantly dazzled and lit up my design brain… My eyes followed the edges bouncing from color to color. The longer you looked, the more you were rewarded.Will Miller, Senior Director of Design at Firebelly

    Around the same time as Firebelly’s partnership with Colossal, the Chicago design studio was also developing a brand identity for Good Chaos, an impact organization committed to creating opportunities for artists. As part of its initial launch, Good Chaos was seeking a trio of local artists to design distinct logos for the organization and create interactive and joy-filled digital experiences on the Good Chaos website.

    In his research, Firebelly’s Senior Director of Design Will Miller came across Liz Flores’s work on Colossal and felt she fit the criteria perfectly for Good Chaos’ launch initiative. She was added to the artist shortlist and was ultimately selected by the Good Chaos team to participate. about how her work came to goodchaos.com on Firebelly.

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as per month. The article Firebelly x Good Chaos: How an Ongoing Partnership Influenced a Joyful Identity appeared first on Colossal.
    #firebelly #good #chaos #how #ongoing
    Firebelly x Good Chaos: How an Ongoing Partnership Influenced a Joyful Identity
    Liz’s work instantly dazzled and lit up my design brain… My eyes followed the edges bouncing from color to color. The longer you looked, the more you were rewarded.Will Miller, Senior Director of Design at Firebelly Around the same time as Firebelly’s partnership with Colossal, the Chicago design studio was also developing a brand identity for Good Chaos, an impact organization committed to creating opportunities for artists. As part of its initial launch, Good Chaos was seeking a trio of local artists to design distinct logos for the organization and create interactive and joy-filled digital experiences on the Good Chaos website. In his research, Firebelly’s Senior Director of Design Will Miller came across Liz Flores’s work on Colossal and felt she fit the criteria perfectly for Good Chaos’ launch initiative. She was added to the artist shortlist and was ultimately selected by the Good Chaos team to participate. about how her work came to goodchaos.com on Firebelly. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as per month. The article Firebelly x Good Chaos: How an Ongoing Partnership Influenced a Joyful Identity appeared first on Colossal. #firebelly #good #chaos #how #ongoing
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Firebelly x Good Chaos: How an Ongoing Partnership Influenced a Joyful Identity
    Liz’s work instantly dazzled and lit up my design brain… My eyes followed the edges bouncing from color to color. The longer you looked, the more you were rewarded.Will Miller, Senior Director of Design at Firebelly Around the same time as Firebelly’s partnership with Colossal, the Chicago design studio was also developing a brand identity for Good Chaos, an impact organization committed to creating opportunities for artists. As part of its initial launch, Good Chaos was seeking a trio of local artists to design distinct logos for the organization and create interactive and joy-filled digital experiences on the Good Chaos website. In his research, Firebelly’s Senior Director of Design Will Miller came across Liz Flores’s work on Colossal and felt she fit the criteria perfectly for Good Chaos’ launch initiative. She was added to the artist shortlist and was ultimately selected by the Good Chaos team to participate. Read more about how her work came to goodchaos.com on Firebelly. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Firebelly x Good Chaos: How an Ongoing Partnership Influenced a Joyful Identity appeared first on Colossal.
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  • Paper Sculptures Encounter Otherworldly Happenings in This Uncanny Animated Short Film

    All images courtesy of the artists, shared with permission
    Paper Sculptures Encounter Otherworldly Happenings in This Uncanny Animated Short Film

    A day like any other takes an unexpected turn for the paper characters of Shotaro Kitada and Hoji Tsuchiya’s new animation. The filmmakers collaborated on a music video for a track called “Prime” from Japanese saxophonist Tamoaki Baba’s 2024 album, Electric Rider.
    Constructing a world of paper cutouts and sculptures, Kitada and Tsuchiya worked remotely to make the experimental short film, never meeting in person due to their geographic distance. Tsuchiya would often provide backgrounds by using stop-motion, then Kitada would bring his sculptures to life through live-action techniques. The process required some initial trial and error and eventually came together through improvisation, which the artists liken to a musical jam session.
    “My three-dimensional works convey a sense of ‘reality’ that drawings or computer graphics cannot replicate,” Kitada says, “yet they evoke a sense of dissonance due to their awkward movements, unique scale, and homogeneous world.”
    Relatable scenes of a gas station, a sheriff on patrol, or a duo playing chess on a bench are met with a tinge of nostalgia and stilted movements, but as the film carries on, people begin disappearing by way of inexplicable phenomena. An enigmatic, high-strung character and a mysterious beverage may have something to do with it.
    Filmed digitally, the video was transferred to film to enhance the work’s “tactile quality,” Kitada says. In some scenes, we can see a piece of fishing line lifting a limb, while in others, stop-motion allows figures to move on their own.
    Get carried away with more projects on Kitada’s website, and see more from Tsuchiya on his site.

    Next article
    #paper #sculptures #encounter #otherworldly #happenings
    Paper Sculptures Encounter Otherworldly Happenings in This Uncanny Animated Short Film
    All images courtesy of the artists, shared with permission Paper Sculptures Encounter Otherworldly Happenings in This Uncanny Animated Short Film A day like any other takes an unexpected turn for the paper characters of Shotaro Kitada and Hoji Tsuchiya’s new animation. The filmmakers collaborated on a music video for a track called “Prime” from Japanese saxophonist Tamoaki Baba’s 2024 album, Electric Rider. Constructing a world of paper cutouts and sculptures, Kitada and Tsuchiya worked remotely to make the experimental short film, never meeting in person due to their geographic distance. Tsuchiya would often provide backgrounds by using stop-motion, then Kitada would bring his sculptures to life through live-action techniques. The process required some initial trial and error and eventually came together through improvisation, which the artists liken to a musical jam session. “My three-dimensional works convey a sense of ‘reality’ that drawings or computer graphics cannot replicate,” Kitada says, “yet they evoke a sense of dissonance due to their awkward movements, unique scale, and homogeneous world.” Relatable scenes of a gas station, a sheriff on patrol, or a duo playing chess on a bench are met with a tinge of nostalgia and stilted movements, but as the film carries on, people begin disappearing by way of inexplicable phenomena. An enigmatic, high-strung character and a mysterious beverage may have something to do with it. Filmed digitally, the video was transferred to film to enhance the work’s “tactile quality,” Kitada says. In some scenes, we can see a piece of fishing line lifting a limb, while in others, stop-motion allows figures to move on their own. Get carried away with more projects on Kitada’s website, and see more from Tsuchiya on his site. Next article #paper #sculptures #encounter #otherworldly #happenings
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Paper Sculptures Encounter Otherworldly Happenings in This Uncanny Animated Short Film
    All images courtesy of the artists, shared with permission Paper Sculptures Encounter Otherworldly Happenings in This Uncanny Animated Short Film A day like any other takes an unexpected turn for the paper characters of Shotaro Kitada and Hoji Tsuchiya’s new animation. The filmmakers collaborated on a music video for a track called “Prime” from Japanese saxophonist Tamoaki Baba’s 2024 album, Electric Rider. Constructing a world of paper cutouts and sculptures, Kitada and Tsuchiya worked remotely to make the experimental short film, never meeting in person due to their geographic distance. Tsuchiya would often provide backgrounds by using stop-motion, then Kitada would bring his sculptures to life through live-action techniques. The process required some initial trial and error and eventually came together through improvisation, which the artists liken to a musical jam session. “My three-dimensional works convey a sense of ‘reality’ that drawings or computer graphics cannot replicate,” Kitada says, “yet they evoke a sense of dissonance due to their awkward movements, unique scale, and homogeneous world.” Relatable scenes of a gas station, a sheriff on patrol, or a duo playing chess on a bench are met with a tinge of nostalgia and stilted movements, but as the film carries on, people begin disappearing by way of inexplicable phenomena. An enigmatic, high-strung character and a mysterious beverage may have something to do with it. Filmed digitally, the video was transferred to film to enhance the work’s “tactile quality,” Kitada says. In some scenes, we can see a piece of fishing line lifting a limb, while in others, stop-motion allows figures to move on their own. Get carried away with more projects on Kitada’s website, and see more from Tsuchiya on his site. Next article
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  • In Surreal Portraits, Rafael Silveira Tends to the Garden of Consciousness

    “Magnetic”, oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and DCG Contemporary, shared with permission

    In Surreal Portraits, Rafael Silveira Tends to the Garden of Consciousness
    May 29, 2025
    Art
    Kate Mothes

    With scenic vistas for faces, blossoms for eyes, or nothing but coral above the shoulders, Rafael Silveira’s surreal portraits summon aspects of human consciousness that span the spectrum of the wonderful and the weird. The Brazilian artist describes his work as “a profound dive into the human mind,” merging flowers, landscapes, and uncanny hybrid features into visages that channel humor with a slightly sinister undertone.
    Silveira’s forthcoming solo exhibition, Agricultura Cósmica at DCG Contemporary, traverses “the fertile terrain of the subconscious,” the gallery says. “With a nod to pop surrealism and the uncanny, his work imagines the mind as a garden where thoughts are seeds and imagesthe wildflowers that sprout.”
    “PLEEESE”, oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches
    Silveira works predominantly in oil, using panel or canvas as a surface and occasionally surrounding his works with ornate, hand-carved wooden frames. The sculptural details of the frames, like an anatomical heart in “Eyeconic Couple” or an all-seeing eye topping “A Crocância do Tempo” — “the crunchiness of time” in Portuguese — read like talismans.
    Many of Silveira’s compositions begin with a traditional head-and-shoulders portrait composition as a starting point, but instead of skin we see a distant horizon, like in “Magnetic,” or a figure’s head supplanted by a stalk of coral or a column of fire. Other pieces omit the human outline altogether in amusing arrangements of vivid flowers, which suggest wide eyes and addled expressions. While human forms shed their emotional autonomy as they converge with their surroundings, the flora in works like “OMG” and “PLEEESE” are a profusion of awe and desire.
    Agricultura Cósmica opens in London on June 12 and continues through July 10. The show runs concurrently alongside an exhibition titled Plural by embroidery artist Flavia Itiberê. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
    “Eyeconic Couple”, oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 15.75 × 35.43 inches
    “Inside Out”, oil on canvas, 35.4 x 31.5 inches
    “A Crocância do Tempo”, oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 35.4 x 31.5 inches
    “The Artifice of Eternity”, oil on canvas, 23.62 × 31.5 inches
    “OMG”, oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches
    “Paixão Ardente”, oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 35.4 x 31.5 inches
    “The Roots of Reality”, oil on canvas, 35.4 x 31.5 inches
    Next article
    #surreal #portraits #rafael #silveira #tends
    In Surreal Portraits, Rafael Silveira Tends to the Garden of Consciousness
    “Magnetic”, oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and DCG Contemporary, shared with permission In Surreal Portraits, Rafael Silveira Tends to the Garden of Consciousness May 29, 2025 Art Kate Mothes With scenic vistas for faces, blossoms for eyes, or nothing but coral above the shoulders, Rafael Silveira’s surreal portraits summon aspects of human consciousness that span the spectrum of the wonderful and the weird. The Brazilian artist describes his work as “a profound dive into the human mind,” merging flowers, landscapes, and uncanny hybrid features into visages that channel humor with a slightly sinister undertone. Silveira’s forthcoming solo exhibition, Agricultura Cósmica at DCG Contemporary, traverses “the fertile terrain of the subconscious,” the gallery says. “With a nod to pop surrealism and the uncanny, his work imagines the mind as a garden where thoughts are seeds and imagesthe wildflowers that sprout.” “PLEEESE”, oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches Silveira works predominantly in oil, using panel or canvas as a surface and occasionally surrounding his works with ornate, hand-carved wooden frames. The sculptural details of the frames, like an anatomical heart in “Eyeconic Couple” or an all-seeing eye topping “A Crocância do Tempo” — “the crunchiness of time” in Portuguese — read like talismans. Many of Silveira’s compositions begin with a traditional head-and-shoulders portrait composition as a starting point, but instead of skin we see a distant horizon, like in “Magnetic,” or a figure’s head supplanted by a stalk of coral or a column of fire. Other pieces omit the human outline altogether in amusing arrangements of vivid flowers, which suggest wide eyes and addled expressions. While human forms shed their emotional autonomy as they converge with their surroundings, the flora in works like “OMG” and “PLEEESE” are a profusion of awe and desire. Agricultura Cósmica opens in London on June 12 and continues through July 10. The show runs concurrently alongside an exhibition titled Plural by embroidery artist Flavia Itiberê. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram. “Eyeconic Couple”, oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 15.75 × 35.43 inches “Inside Out”, oil on canvas, 35.4 x 31.5 inches “A Crocância do Tempo”, oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 35.4 x 31.5 inches “The Artifice of Eternity”, oil on canvas, 23.62 × 31.5 inches “OMG”, oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches “Paixão Ardente”, oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 35.4 x 31.5 inches “The Roots of Reality”, oil on canvas, 35.4 x 31.5 inches Next article #surreal #portraits #rafael #silveira #tends
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    In Surreal Portraits, Rafael Silveira Tends to the Garden of Consciousness
    “Magnetic” (2025), oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and DCG Contemporary, shared with permission In Surreal Portraits, Rafael Silveira Tends to the Garden of Consciousness May 29, 2025 Art Kate Mothes With scenic vistas for faces, blossoms for eyes, or nothing but coral above the shoulders, Rafael Silveira’s surreal portraits summon aspects of human consciousness that span the spectrum of the wonderful and the weird. The Brazilian artist describes his work as “a profound dive into the human mind,” merging flowers, landscapes, and uncanny hybrid features into visages that channel humor with a slightly sinister undertone. Silveira’s forthcoming solo exhibition, Agricultura Cósmica at DCG Contemporary, traverses “the fertile terrain of the subconscious,” the gallery says. “With a nod to pop surrealism and the uncanny, his work imagines the mind as a garden where thoughts are seeds and images (are) the wildflowers that sprout.” “PLEEESE” (2025), oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches Silveira works predominantly in oil, using panel or canvas as a surface and occasionally surrounding his works with ornate, hand-carved wooden frames. The sculptural details of the frames, like an anatomical heart in “Eyeconic Couple” or an all-seeing eye topping “A Crocância do Tempo” — “the crunchiness of time” in Portuguese — read like talismans. Many of Silveira’s compositions begin with a traditional head-and-shoulders portrait composition as a starting point, but instead of skin we see a distant horizon, like in “Magnetic,” or a figure’s head supplanted by a stalk of coral or a column of fire. Other pieces omit the human outline altogether in amusing arrangements of vivid flowers, which suggest wide eyes and addled expressions. While human forms shed their emotional autonomy as they converge with their surroundings, the flora in works like “OMG” and “PLEEESE” are a profusion of awe and desire. Agricultura Cósmica opens in London on June 12 and continues through July 10. The show runs concurrently alongside an exhibition titled Plural by embroidery artist Flavia Itiberê. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram. “Eyeconic Couple” (2025), oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 15.75 × 35.43 inches “Inside Out” (2025), oil on canvas, 35.4 x 31.5 inches “A Crocância do Tempo” (2025), oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 35.4 x 31.5 inches “The Artifice of Eternity” (2025), oil on canvas, 23.62 × 31.5 inches “OMG” (2025), oil on canvas, 23.62 × 23.62 inches “Paixão Ardente” (2025), oil on panel and hand-carved frame, 35.4 x 31.5 inches “The Roots of Reality” (2025), oil on canvas, 35.4 x 31.5 inches Next article
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  • In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books

    “Decoy Boy.” All images © Michael Ezzell, shared with permission
    In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books
    May 27, 2025
    ArtIllustration
    Kate Mothes

    It’s not too often that a high school art project morphs into a through-line in an artist’s professional practice, but for illustrator and printmaker Michael Ezzell, that’s exactly how his ongoing series The Junior Classic was born. Tearing pages from vintage books, he experiments with a range of media, compositional elements, and narratives that then inspire further paintings and prints.
    “When I was starting out, I would just paint over the text of the page and create something brand new from some mundane book I had,” Ezzell tells Colossal. “Eventually, it evolved into using the page’s illustration or ornate chapter headings as a jumping-off point for what I would create on the page.”
    “Cloudmaker”
    Among many others, Ezzell especially graviates toward illustrations in the Alice in Wonderland series, originally drawn by Sir John Tenniel and reimagined during subsequent decades by more than half a dozen other artists like Mabel Lucie Attwell, Gwynedd M. Hudson, Maria L. Kirk, and even Salvador Dalí.
    “I’ve gotten my book-hunting more down to a science now,” the artist says. “I look for weird and obscure manuals or children’s books with lots of pictures or funky text formatting. Anything that could have strange connotations when taken out of context is what I’m drawn to.” He approaches each page’s inherent qualities—a printed phrase or a small drawing—like a prompt or a call-and-response, which taps into a refreshingly different kind of problem-solving than working on a large, blank canvas.
    Ezzell is particularly interested in world-building and immersive stories, and his motifs and characters take cues from tarot, Surrealism, playing cards, and early-20th-century fashion. The title of the series nods to a set of 10 books titled The Junior Classics, first published in 1912, which were intended for young readers as a counterpart to the Harvard Classics series.
    The Junior Classic consists of more than 400 pieces, and Ezzell is currently working on his own tarot deck, which in turn is inspiring more narrative possibilities. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
    “Two Rivers”
    “Now Here”
    “Three Phases of Mitsy Diller”
    “Mind Over Matter”
    “Love Makes the World Go Down”
    “The Escapist”
    “The Great Cassino”
    “The Duchess”
    Next article
    #junior #classic #michael #ezzell #builds
    In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books
    “Decoy Boy.” All images © Michael Ezzell, shared with permission In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books May 27, 2025 ArtIllustration Kate Mothes It’s not too often that a high school art project morphs into a through-line in an artist’s professional practice, but for illustrator and printmaker Michael Ezzell, that’s exactly how his ongoing series The Junior Classic was born. Tearing pages from vintage books, he experiments with a range of media, compositional elements, and narratives that then inspire further paintings and prints. “When I was starting out, I would just paint over the text of the page and create something brand new from some mundane book I had,” Ezzell tells Colossal. “Eventually, it evolved into using the page’s illustration or ornate chapter headings as a jumping-off point for what I would create on the page.” “Cloudmaker” Among many others, Ezzell especially graviates toward illustrations in the Alice in Wonderland series, originally drawn by Sir John Tenniel and reimagined during subsequent decades by more than half a dozen other artists like Mabel Lucie Attwell, Gwynedd M. Hudson, Maria L. Kirk, and even Salvador Dalí. “I’ve gotten my book-hunting more down to a science now,” the artist says. “I look for weird and obscure manuals or children’s books with lots of pictures or funky text formatting. Anything that could have strange connotations when taken out of context is what I’m drawn to.” He approaches each page’s inherent qualities—a printed phrase or a small drawing—like a prompt or a call-and-response, which taps into a refreshingly different kind of problem-solving than working on a large, blank canvas. Ezzell is particularly interested in world-building and immersive stories, and his motifs and characters take cues from tarot, Surrealism, playing cards, and early-20th-century fashion. The title of the series nods to a set of 10 books titled The Junior Classics, first published in 1912, which were intended for young readers as a counterpart to the Harvard Classics series. The Junior Classic consists of more than 400 pieces, and Ezzell is currently working on his own tarot deck, which in turn is inspiring more narrative possibilities. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram. “Two Rivers” “Now Here” “Three Phases of Mitsy Diller” “Mind Over Matter” “Love Makes the World Go Down” “The Escapist” “The Great Cassino” “The Duchess” Next article #junior #classic #michael #ezzell #builds
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books
    “Decoy Boy.” All images © Michael Ezzell, shared with permission In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books May 27, 2025 ArtIllustration Kate Mothes It’s not too often that a high school art project morphs into a through-line in an artist’s professional practice, but for illustrator and printmaker Michael Ezzell, that’s exactly how his ongoing series The Junior Classic was born. Tearing pages from vintage books, he experiments with a range of media, compositional elements, and narratives that then inspire further paintings and prints. “When I was starting out, I would just paint over the text of the page and create something brand new from some mundane book I had,” Ezzell tells Colossal. “Eventually, it evolved into using the page’s illustration or ornate chapter headings as a jumping-off point for what I would create on the page.” “Cloudmaker” Among many others, Ezzell especially graviates toward illustrations in the Alice in Wonderland series, originally drawn by Sir John Tenniel and reimagined during subsequent decades by more than half a dozen other artists like Mabel Lucie Attwell, Gwynedd M. Hudson, Maria L. Kirk, and even Salvador Dalí. “I’ve gotten my book-hunting more down to a science now,” the artist says. “I look for weird and obscure manuals or children’s books with lots of pictures or funky text formatting. Anything that could have strange connotations when taken out of context is what I’m drawn to.” He approaches each page’s inherent qualities—a printed phrase or a small drawing—like a prompt or a call-and-response, which taps into a refreshingly different kind of problem-solving than working on a large, blank canvas. Ezzell is particularly interested in world-building and immersive stories, and his motifs and characters take cues from tarot, Surrealism, playing cards, and early-20th-century fashion. The title of the series nods to a set of 10 books titled The Junior Classics, first published in 1912, which were intended for young readers as a counterpart to the Harvard Classics series. The Junior Classic consists of more than 400 pieces (and growing), and Ezzell is currently working on his own tarot deck, which in turn is inspiring more narrative possibilities. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram. “Two Rivers” “Now Here” “Three Phases of Mitsy Diller” “Mind Over Matter” “Love Makes the World Go Down” “The Escapist” “The Great Cassino” “The Duchess” Next article
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  • An Exhibition Celebrates the Self-Taught Immigrant Artists Shaping Chicago

    Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz, , born Querétaro
    Mexico, 1975, “In the name of progress,”, mixed media, 69 5/8 x 26 x 24 inches. Photo by Photo by Lisa Lindvay
    . All images courtesy of Intuit Art Museum, shared with permission
    An Exhibition Celebrates the Self-Taught Immigrant Artists Shaping Chicago
    May 23, 2025
    ArtSocial Issues
    Grace Ebert

    Built on the traditional homeland of the Sauk, Fox, and Potawatomi peoples, Chicago is a city of immigrants. Just 13 years after the city was incorporated in 1837, more than half of its residents were born overseas, having flocked to the region from across Europe and Asia alongside tens of thousands of others. Today, Chicago is home to 1.7 million immigrants, totaling 18 percent of the population.
    The inaugural exhibition at the newly renovated Intuit Art Museum celebrates this history by bringing together 22 artists with ties to the city. Comprised of 75 works across mediums, Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago highlights those who worked in the Midwest and established their practice outside the traditional art world models.
    Carlos Barberena, born Granada, Nicaragua, 1972, “Exodus”, linocut on HW Rives paper, edition of 25, 24 x 19 inches
    Intuit is a longstanding champion of self-taught artists. Established in 1991, the museum has recognized the incredible creative contributions of those operating outside the mainstream due to economic, societal, or geographic reasons.
    One such artist is Henry Darger, who worked as a hospital custodian by day and produced an enormous collection of drawings, watercolor paintings, and cut paper works only discovered after his death. While Darger’s works now sell for prices in the high six figures, his story is unique. Historically, self-taught artists don’t often attain the critical or financial recognition of their traditionally trained peers.
    Catalyst comes at a particularly relevant moment in the U.S., as immigrants are under increasing threat. Spotlighting works with a wide array of topics and approaches, the exhibition creates a sort of contemporary tapestry of those shaping Chicago’s cultural landscape since the mid-20th century. The show intends to highlight “artists deserving of greater attention, while posing questions about access to the art world and how art comes to be defined and valued,” a statement says.
    Included are four impeccably detailed paintings by Drossos P. Skyllas, an Ottoman-born artist known for his enchanting hyperrealistic portraits. Charles Barbarena works with a similar devotion to precise mark-making in his portraiture. The Nicaraguan artist creates linocuts that frame instances of trauma and adversity with elaborate floral motifs, his depictions of people continually harnessing compassion and resistance.
    Drossos P. Skyllas, born Kalymnos, Ottoman Empire, 1912-1976, “Greek Bishop”, oil on canvas, 65 x 41 1/2 inches
    Found object and mixed-media sculpture features prominently, too. The soaring miniature cathedral by Charles Warner, for example, interprets the sacred spaces of his childhood in Prussia through hand-carved wood and pastel paint. There’s also the figurative assemblage of Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz, who sculpts a rendition of the Statue of Liberty. With a torso of unidentifiable hands caked in soil and detritus at her feet, Piloto’s “In the name of progress” complicates the symbol of freedom.
    Catalyst is on view through January 11, 2026.
    Charles Warner, born Prussia, 1884-1964, “Cathedral III”mixed media, 48 1/16 x 16 1/8 x 20 7/8 inches. Photo by Mark Widhalm
    Charles Warner, born Prussia, 1884-1964, “Cathedral III”mixed media, 48 1/16 x 16 1/8 x 20 7/8 inches. Photo by Mark Widhalm
    Photo by Lisa and Nick Albertson
    María Enríquez de Allen, American, born Allende, Mexico, 1907-1999, “Untitled”, mixed media, 8 ¾ x 7 x 10 ½ inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay
    Marion Perkins, American, born Marche, Arkansas, 1908-1961, “Untitled”, steel wire, 19 x 12 x 13 inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay
    Bronislaw “Bruno” Sowa, American, born Lubomierz, 1915-1995, “Untitled”, oil on board in carved pyrography frame with glass jewels, 33 x 24 x 1 1/4 inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay
    Photo by Lisa and Nick Albertson
    Next article
    #exhibition #celebrates #selftaught #immigrant #artists
    An Exhibition Celebrates the Self-Taught Immigrant Artists Shaping Chicago
    Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz, , born Querétaro Mexico, 1975, “In the name of progress,”, mixed media, 69 5/8 x 26 x 24 inches. Photo by Photo by Lisa Lindvay . All images courtesy of Intuit Art Museum, shared with permission An Exhibition Celebrates the Self-Taught Immigrant Artists Shaping Chicago May 23, 2025 ArtSocial Issues Grace Ebert Built on the traditional homeland of the Sauk, Fox, and Potawatomi peoples, Chicago is a city of immigrants. Just 13 years after the city was incorporated in 1837, more than half of its residents were born overseas, having flocked to the region from across Europe and Asia alongside tens of thousands of others. Today, Chicago is home to 1.7 million immigrants, totaling 18 percent of the population. The inaugural exhibition at the newly renovated Intuit Art Museum celebrates this history by bringing together 22 artists with ties to the city. Comprised of 75 works across mediums, Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago highlights those who worked in the Midwest and established their practice outside the traditional art world models. Carlos Barberena, born Granada, Nicaragua, 1972, “Exodus”, linocut on HW Rives paper, edition of 25, 24 x 19 inches Intuit is a longstanding champion of self-taught artists. Established in 1991, the museum has recognized the incredible creative contributions of those operating outside the mainstream due to economic, societal, or geographic reasons. One such artist is Henry Darger, who worked as a hospital custodian by day and produced an enormous collection of drawings, watercolor paintings, and cut paper works only discovered after his death. While Darger’s works now sell for prices in the high six figures, his story is unique. Historically, self-taught artists don’t often attain the critical or financial recognition of their traditionally trained peers. Catalyst comes at a particularly relevant moment in the U.S., as immigrants are under increasing threat. Spotlighting works with a wide array of topics and approaches, the exhibition creates a sort of contemporary tapestry of those shaping Chicago’s cultural landscape since the mid-20th century. The show intends to highlight “artists deserving of greater attention, while posing questions about access to the art world and how art comes to be defined and valued,” a statement says. Included are four impeccably detailed paintings by Drossos P. Skyllas, an Ottoman-born artist known for his enchanting hyperrealistic portraits. Charles Barbarena works with a similar devotion to precise mark-making in his portraiture. The Nicaraguan artist creates linocuts that frame instances of trauma and adversity with elaborate floral motifs, his depictions of people continually harnessing compassion and resistance. Drossos P. Skyllas, born Kalymnos, Ottoman Empire, 1912-1976, “Greek Bishop”, oil on canvas, 65 x 41 1/2 inches Found object and mixed-media sculpture features prominently, too. The soaring miniature cathedral by Charles Warner, for example, interprets the sacred spaces of his childhood in Prussia through hand-carved wood and pastel paint. There’s also the figurative assemblage of Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz, who sculpts a rendition of the Statue of Liberty. With a torso of unidentifiable hands caked in soil and detritus at her feet, Piloto’s “In the name of progress” complicates the symbol of freedom. Catalyst is on view through January 11, 2026. Charles Warner, born Prussia, 1884-1964, “Cathedral III”mixed media, 48 1/16 x 16 1/8 x 20 7/8 inches. Photo by Mark Widhalm Charles Warner, born Prussia, 1884-1964, “Cathedral III”mixed media, 48 1/16 x 16 1/8 x 20 7/8 inches. Photo by Mark Widhalm Photo by Lisa and Nick Albertson María Enríquez de Allen, American, born Allende, Mexico, 1907-1999, “Untitled”, mixed media, 8 ¾ x 7 x 10 ½ inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay Marion Perkins, American, born Marche, Arkansas, 1908-1961, “Untitled”, steel wire, 19 x 12 x 13 inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay Bronislaw “Bruno” Sowa, American, born Lubomierz, 1915-1995, “Untitled”, oil on board in carved pyrography frame with glass jewels, 33 x 24 x 1 1/4 inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay Photo by Lisa and Nick Albertson Next article #exhibition #celebrates #selftaught #immigrant #artists
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    An Exhibition Celebrates the Self-Taught Immigrant Artists Shaping Chicago
    Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz, , born Querétaro Mexico, 1975, “In the name of progress,” (2017), mixed media, 69 5/8 x 26 x 24 inches. Photo by Photo by Lisa Lindvay . All images courtesy of Intuit Art Museum, shared with permission An Exhibition Celebrates the Self-Taught Immigrant Artists Shaping Chicago May 23, 2025 ArtSocial Issues Grace Ebert Built on the traditional homeland of the Sauk, Fox, and Potawatomi peoples, Chicago is a city of immigrants. Just 13 years after the city was incorporated in 1837, more than half of its residents were born overseas, having flocked to the region from across Europe and Asia alongside tens of thousands of others. Today, Chicago is home to 1.7 million immigrants, totaling 18 percent of the population. The inaugural exhibition at the newly renovated Intuit Art Museum celebrates this history by bringing together 22 artists with ties to the city. Comprised of 75 works across mediums, Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago highlights those who worked in the Midwest and established their practice outside the traditional art world models. Carlos Barberena, born Granada, Nicaragua, 1972, “Exodus” (2019), linocut on HW Rives paper, edition of 25, 24 x 19 inches Intuit is a longstanding champion of self-taught artists. Established in 1991, the museum has recognized the incredible creative contributions of those operating outside the mainstream due to economic, societal, or geographic reasons. One such artist is Henry Darger, who worked as a hospital custodian by day and produced an enormous collection of drawings, watercolor paintings, and cut paper works only discovered after his death. While Darger’s works now sell for prices in the high six figures, his story is unique. Historically, self-taught artists don’t often attain the critical or financial recognition of their traditionally trained peers. Catalyst comes at a particularly relevant moment in the U.S., as immigrants are under increasing threat. Spotlighting works with a wide array of topics and approaches, the exhibition creates a sort of contemporary tapestry of those shaping Chicago’s cultural landscape since the mid-20th century. The show intends to highlight “artists deserving of greater attention, while posing questions about access to the art world and how art comes to be defined and valued,” a statement says. Included are four impeccably detailed paintings by Drossos P. Skyllas (1912-1973), an Ottoman-born artist known for his enchanting hyperrealistic portraits. Charles Barbarena works with a similar devotion to precise mark-making in his portraiture. The Nicaraguan artist creates linocuts that frame instances of trauma and adversity with elaborate floral motifs, his depictions of people continually harnessing compassion and resistance. Drossos P. Skyllas, born Kalymnos, Ottoman Empire (now Greece), 1912-1976, “Greek Bishop” (c. 1967), oil on canvas, 65 x 41 1/2 inches Found object and mixed-media sculpture features prominently, too. The soaring miniature cathedral by Charles Warner, for example, interprets the sacred spaces of his childhood in Prussia through hand-carved wood and pastel paint. There’s also the figurative assemblage of Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz, who sculpts a rendition of the Statue of Liberty. With a torso of unidentifiable hands caked in soil and detritus at her feet, Piloto’s “In the name of progress” complicates the symbol of freedom. Catalyst is on view through January 11, 2026. Charles Warner, born Prussia (now Poland), 1884-1964, “Cathedral III” (c. 1955) mixed media, 48 1/16 x 16 1/8 x 20 7/8 inches. Photo by Mark Widhalm Charles Warner, born Prussia (now Poland), 1884-1964, “Cathedral III” (c. 1955) mixed media, 48 1/16 x 16 1/8 x 20 7/8 inches. Photo by Mark Widhalm Photo by Lisa and Nick Albertson María Enríquez de Allen, American, born Allende, Mexico, 1907-1999, “Untitled (New life goat skull)” (1997), mixed media, 8 ¾ x 7 x 10 ½ inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay Marion Perkins, American, born Marche, Arkansas, 1908-1961, “Untitled (Wire head)” (c. 1955), steel wire, 19 x 12 x 13 inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay Bronislaw “Bruno” Sowa, American, born Lubomierz (Poland), 1915-1995, “Untitled” (1994), oil on board in carved pyrography frame with glass jewels, 33 x 24 x 1 1/4 inches. Photo by Lisa Lindvay Photo by Lisa and Nick Albertson Next article
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  • In ‘The Quilters,’ Men in a Missouri Prison Sew Gifts for Children

    All images courtesy of ‘The Quilters’
    In ‘The Quilters,’ Men in a Missouri Prison Sew Gifts for Children
    May 23, 2025
    Grace Ebert

    In a room bigger than most at South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Missouri, a group of men has volunteered for a creative project that stretches beyond prison walls. For about 40 hours each week, they cut and stitch quilts for children in foster care or with disabilities, sewing vibrant, patterned patchworks and finding joy and camaraderie while doing so.
    A short documentary from Netflix visits the men and showcasAt South Central Correctional Center, a group of men has volunteered for a creative project that stretches beyond prison walls.es their brightly lit space, complete with machines and a wall overflowing with soft fabrics. Peering into their beloved enclave for expression and solidarity, “The Quilters” echoes what many involved in creative programs inside say: that art is a fundamental lifeline amid such a dehumanizing environment.
    As one man shares in the trailer to the film, “All the other guys don’t even have a clue how we feel up here…This is what puts me on the outside. When I do this, I don’t even be in here.”
    “The Quilters” is streaming now on Netflix. You might also be interested in a look at the historic Faith Ringgold work at Riker’s Island and JR’s collaboration with the men of Tehachapi.Next article
    #quilters #men #missouri #prison #sew
    In ‘The Quilters,’ Men in a Missouri Prison Sew Gifts for Children
    All images courtesy of ‘The Quilters’ In ‘The Quilters,’ Men in a Missouri Prison Sew Gifts for Children May 23, 2025 Grace Ebert In a room bigger than most at South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Missouri, a group of men has volunteered for a creative project that stretches beyond prison walls. For about 40 hours each week, they cut and stitch quilts for children in foster care or with disabilities, sewing vibrant, patterned patchworks and finding joy and camaraderie while doing so. A short documentary from Netflix visits the men and showcasAt South Central Correctional Center, a group of men has volunteered for a creative project that stretches beyond prison walls.es their brightly lit space, complete with machines and a wall overflowing with soft fabrics. Peering into their beloved enclave for expression and solidarity, “The Quilters” echoes what many involved in creative programs inside say: that art is a fundamental lifeline amid such a dehumanizing environment. As one man shares in the trailer to the film, “All the other guys don’t even have a clue how we feel up here…This is what puts me on the outside. When I do this, I don’t even be in here.” “The Quilters” is streaming now on Netflix. You might also be interested in a look at the historic Faith Ringgold work at Riker’s Island and JR’s collaboration with the men of Tehachapi.Next article #quilters #men #missouri #prison #sew
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    In ‘The Quilters,’ Men in a Missouri Prison Sew Gifts for Children
    All images courtesy of ‘The Quilters’ In ‘The Quilters,’ Men in a Missouri Prison Sew Gifts for Children May 23, 2025 Grace Ebert In a room bigger than most at South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Missouri, a group of men has volunteered for a creative project that stretches beyond prison walls. For about 40 hours each week, they cut and stitch quilts for children in foster care or with disabilities, sewing vibrant, patterned patchworks and finding joy and camaraderie while doing so. A short documentary from Netflix visits the men and showcasAt South Central Correctional Center, a group of men has volunteered for a creative project that stretches beyond prison walls.es their brightly lit space, complete with machines and a wall overflowing with soft fabrics. Peering into their beloved enclave for expression and solidarity, “The Quilters” echoes what many involved in creative programs inside say: that art is a fundamental lifeline amid such a dehumanizing environment. As one man shares in the trailer to the film, “All the other guys don’t even have a clue how we feel up here…This is what puts me on the outside. When I do this, I don’t even be in here.” “The Quilters” is streaming now on Netflix. You might also be interested in a look at the historic Faith Ringgold work at Riker’s Island and JR’s collaboration with the men of Tehachapi. (via Kottke) Next article
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  • A Rippling Townhouse Facade by Alex Chinneck Takes a Seat in a London Square

    Photos by Charles Emerson. All images courtesy of Alex Chinneck Studio, shared with permission
    A Rippling Townhouse Facade by Alex Chinneck Takes a Seat in a London Square
    May 22, 2025
    ArtDesign
    Kate Mothes

    It takes a real knack for design to make something as hefty and industrial as steel and bricks appear weightless or even playful. But British artist Alex Chinneckis no stranger to monumental projects that reimagine urban infrastructure and buildings into striking public installations.
    As part of London’s Clerkenwell Design Week, Chinneck unveiled “A week at the knees,” a new sculpture in Charterhouse Square that takes its cue from an iconic predecessor. The artist installed the “From the Knees of my Nose to the Belly of my Toes” in 2013 on a dilapidated townhouse in Margate, appearing as though the entire front of the building had simply slid right off. On view through June in London, his new work boasts a frame made from 320 meters of repurposed steel and 7,000 bricks.
    “A week at the knees” playfully anthropomorphizes a classic Georgian facade, with its lower two levels rippling over a pathway as if seated in the park with its knees up. London is famous for its green squares and gardens, and Chinneck’s work invites visitors to pass through a unique portal that calls upon the history of its surroundings, complete with downspout and lamps flanking the arched front door.
    Chinneck fabricated the sculpture in collaboration with numerous British companies to source and create bespoke steel beams, curving windows, and bricks. At five meters tall and weighing 12 tons, the piece mimics a life-size building while sporting a thickness of only 15 centimeters. The effect lends itself to the experience of a hefty, architectonic structure with a graceful, lightweight personality.
    Explore more on Chinneck’s website and Instagram.

    Next article
    #rippling #townhouse #facade #alex #chinneck
    A Rippling Townhouse Facade by Alex Chinneck Takes a Seat in a London Square
    Photos by Charles Emerson. All images courtesy of Alex Chinneck Studio, shared with permission A Rippling Townhouse Facade by Alex Chinneck Takes a Seat in a London Square May 22, 2025 ArtDesign Kate Mothes It takes a real knack for design to make something as hefty and industrial as steel and bricks appear weightless or even playful. But British artist Alex Chinneckis no stranger to monumental projects that reimagine urban infrastructure and buildings into striking public installations. As part of London’s Clerkenwell Design Week, Chinneck unveiled “A week at the knees,” a new sculpture in Charterhouse Square that takes its cue from an iconic predecessor. The artist installed the “From the Knees of my Nose to the Belly of my Toes” in 2013 on a dilapidated townhouse in Margate, appearing as though the entire front of the building had simply slid right off. On view through June in London, his new work boasts a frame made from 320 meters of repurposed steel and 7,000 bricks. “A week at the knees” playfully anthropomorphizes a classic Georgian facade, with its lower two levels rippling over a pathway as if seated in the park with its knees up. London is famous for its green squares and gardens, and Chinneck’s work invites visitors to pass through a unique portal that calls upon the history of its surroundings, complete with downspout and lamps flanking the arched front door. Chinneck fabricated the sculpture in collaboration with numerous British companies to source and create bespoke steel beams, curving windows, and bricks. At five meters tall and weighing 12 tons, the piece mimics a life-size building while sporting a thickness of only 15 centimeters. The effect lends itself to the experience of a hefty, architectonic structure with a graceful, lightweight personality. Explore more on Chinneck’s website and Instagram. Next article #rippling #townhouse #facade #alex #chinneck
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    A Rippling Townhouse Facade by Alex Chinneck Takes a Seat in a London Square
    Photos by Charles Emerson. All images courtesy of Alex Chinneck Studio, shared with permission A Rippling Townhouse Facade by Alex Chinneck Takes a Seat in a London Square May 22, 2025 ArtDesign Kate Mothes It takes a real knack for design to make something as hefty and industrial as steel and bricks appear weightless or even playful. But British artist Alex Chinneck (previously) is no stranger to monumental projects that reimagine urban infrastructure and buildings into striking public installations. As part of London’s Clerkenwell Design Week, Chinneck unveiled “A week at the knees,” a new sculpture in Charterhouse Square that takes its cue from an iconic predecessor. The artist installed the “From the Knees of my Nose to the Belly of my Toes” in 2013 on a dilapidated townhouse in Margate, appearing as though the entire front of the building had simply slid right off. On view through June in London, his new work boasts a frame made from 320 meters of repurposed steel and 7,000 bricks. “A week at the knees” playfully anthropomorphizes a classic Georgian facade, with its lower two levels rippling over a pathway as if seated in the park with its knees up. London is famous for its green squares and gardens, and Chinneck’s work invites visitors to pass through a unique portal that calls upon the history of its surroundings, complete with downspout and lamps flanking the arched front door. Chinneck fabricated the sculpture in collaboration with numerous British companies to source and create bespoke steel beams, curving windows, and bricks. At five meters tall and weighing 12 tons, the piece mimics a life-size building while sporting a thickness of only 15 centimeters. The effect lends itself to the experience of a hefty, architectonic structure with a graceful, lightweight personality. Explore more on Chinneck’s website and Instagram. Next article
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  • Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence

    “Metamorphosis of Consciousness”, mixed media, dimensions variable. All images courtesy of Red Brick Art Museum
    Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence
    May 22, 2025
    Art
    Grace Ebert

    In one of the foundational texts of Taoism, Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou recalls a dream in which he was a butterfly, soaring through the sky with no recollection of his human form. Upon waking, though, he finds himself firmly in a bipedal body, prompting an important question: is he a butterfly dreaming he’s Zhuang Zhou or a man dreaming he’s a butterfly?
    This ancient story of transformation and the thin line between states of mind informs a dazzling new installation by Chiharu Shiota. “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” suspends glimmering lights and faint butterfly wings above an iron-framed twin bed topped with a white blanket and pillow. Rejecting the strict separation between body and mind, Shiota references her belief in the spirit’s ability to endure long after one’s final breath. “While each time we slip into sleep, it is a rehearsal for death—a journey beyond the body,” she says.
    “Metamorphosis of Consciousness”, mixed media, dimensions variable
    Exemplary of the artist’s interest in memory and knowledge, “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” is just one of the immersive works in the monumental exhibition Silent Emptiness at Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing.
    On view through August 31, the show revolves around Shiota’s ongoing explorations into the “presence in absence,” this time extending such inquiries into ideas of emptiness as it relates to Eastern philosophy and enlightenment.
    Included in the exhibtion is an antique Tibetan Buddhist doorway that anchors “Gateway to Silence,” an explosive installation that entwines the elaborately carved wood structure in a dense, criss-crossing labyrinth of string. Red thread, one of the artist’s favored materials, symbolizes relationships. And in this case, it’s an invitation to introspection and finding an awareness of the present moment.
    Metaphorically interlacing art, memory, and faith, Shiota very literally visualizes the intextricable web in which we’re all bound, regardless of geography or era. Pieces like “Echoes of Time” and “Rooted Memories” incorporate materials like soil and large stones, presenting the passage of time as cyclical and the past as always shaping the present.
    Detail of “Gateway to Silence”, antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable
    Born in Osaka, the artist has lived in Berlin for much of her life, and Silent Emptiness also tethers her roots to more global experiences. Shiota likened her understanding of herself to the way salt molecules appear as crystals only after water evaporates. “I was not visible as an individual in Japan,” she says. “Whereas I did not know who I was, what I wanted to do, and what was necessary in the water, I feel that I became an individual and crystal, and understood those things for the first time by coming to Germany.”
    Another example of finding presence in absence, Shiota’s migration and experience of discovery provides an important touchstone for her thinking and practice. She adds, “Absence does not signify disappearance but rather an integration into a vaster universe, re-entering the flow of time and forming new connections with all things.”“Gateway to Silence”, mixed media, dimensions variable
    “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable
    “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable
    Detail of “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable
    “Multiple Realities”, mixed media, dimensions variable
    “Echoes of Time”, black yarn and rock, dimensions variable
    “Echoes of Time”, black yarn and rock, dimensions variable
    Next article
    #through #fairy #lights #butterflies #chiharu
    Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence
    “Metamorphosis of Consciousness”, mixed media, dimensions variable. All images courtesy of Red Brick Art Museum Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence May 22, 2025 Art Grace Ebert In one of the foundational texts of Taoism, Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou recalls a dream in which he was a butterfly, soaring through the sky with no recollection of his human form. Upon waking, though, he finds himself firmly in a bipedal body, prompting an important question: is he a butterfly dreaming he’s Zhuang Zhou or a man dreaming he’s a butterfly? This ancient story of transformation and the thin line between states of mind informs a dazzling new installation by Chiharu Shiota. “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” suspends glimmering lights and faint butterfly wings above an iron-framed twin bed topped with a white blanket and pillow. Rejecting the strict separation between body and mind, Shiota references her belief in the spirit’s ability to endure long after one’s final breath. “While each time we slip into sleep, it is a rehearsal for death—a journey beyond the body,” she says. “Metamorphosis of Consciousness”, mixed media, dimensions variable Exemplary of the artist’s interest in memory and knowledge, “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” is just one of the immersive works in the monumental exhibition Silent Emptiness at Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing. On view through August 31, the show revolves around Shiota’s ongoing explorations into the “presence in absence,” this time extending such inquiries into ideas of emptiness as it relates to Eastern philosophy and enlightenment. Included in the exhibtion is an antique Tibetan Buddhist doorway that anchors “Gateway to Silence,” an explosive installation that entwines the elaborately carved wood structure in a dense, criss-crossing labyrinth of string. Red thread, one of the artist’s favored materials, symbolizes relationships. And in this case, it’s an invitation to introspection and finding an awareness of the present moment. Metaphorically interlacing art, memory, and faith, Shiota very literally visualizes the intextricable web in which we’re all bound, regardless of geography or era. Pieces like “Echoes of Time” and “Rooted Memories” incorporate materials like soil and large stones, presenting the passage of time as cyclical and the past as always shaping the present. Detail of “Gateway to Silence”, antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable Born in Osaka, the artist has lived in Berlin for much of her life, and Silent Emptiness also tethers her roots to more global experiences. Shiota likened her understanding of herself to the way salt molecules appear as crystals only after water evaporates. “I was not visible as an individual in Japan,” she says. “Whereas I did not know who I was, what I wanted to do, and what was necessary in the water, I feel that I became an individual and crystal, and understood those things for the first time by coming to Germany.” Another example of finding presence in absence, Shiota’s migration and experience of discovery provides an important touchstone for her thinking and practice. She adds, “Absence does not signify disappearance but rather an integration into a vaster universe, re-entering the flow of time and forming new connections with all things.”“Gateway to Silence”, mixed media, dimensions variable “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable Detail of “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable “Multiple Realities”, mixed media, dimensions variable “Echoes of Time”, black yarn and rock, dimensions variable “Echoes of Time”, black yarn and rock, dimensions variable Next article #through #fairy #lights #butterflies #chiharu
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence
    “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” (2025), mixed media, dimensions variable. All images courtesy of Red Brick Art Museum Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence May 22, 2025 Art Grace Ebert In one of the foundational texts of Taoism, Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou recalls a dream in which he was a butterfly, soaring through the sky with no recollection of his human form. Upon waking, though, he finds himself firmly in a bipedal body, prompting an important question: is he a butterfly dreaming he’s Zhuang Zhou or a man dreaming he’s a butterfly? This ancient story of transformation and the thin line between states of mind informs a dazzling new installation by Chiharu Shiota (previously). “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” suspends glimmering lights and faint butterfly wings above an iron-framed twin bed topped with a white blanket and pillow. Rejecting the strict separation between body and mind, Shiota references her belief in the spirit’s ability to endure long after one’s final breath. “While each time we slip into sleep, it is a rehearsal for death—a journey beyond the body,” she says. “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” (2025), mixed media, dimensions variable Exemplary of the artist’s interest in memory and knowledge, “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” is just one of the immersive works in the monumental exhibition Silent Emptiness at Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing. On view through August 31, the show revolves around Shiota’s ongoing explorations into the “presence in absence,” this time extending such inquiries into ideas of emptiness as it relates to Eastern philosophy and enlightenment. Included in the exhibtion is an antique Tibetan Buddhist doorway that anchors “Gateway to Silence,” an explosive installation that entwines the elaborately carved wood structure in a dense, criss-crossing labyrinth of string. Red thread, one of the artist’s favored materials, symbolizes relationships. And in this case, it’s an invitation to introspection and finding an awareness of the present moment. Metaphorically interlacing art, memory, and faith, Shiota very literally visualizes the intextricable web in which we’re all bound, regardless of geography or era. Pieces like “Echoes of Time” and “Rooted Memories” incorporate materials like soil and large stones, presenting the passage of time as cyclical and the past as always shaping the present. Detail of “Gateway to Silence” (2025), antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable Born in Osaka, the artist has lived in Berlin for much of her life, and Silent Emptiness also tethers her roots to more global experiences. Shiota likened her understanding of herself to the way salt molecules appear as crystals only after water evaporates. “I was not visible as an individual in Japan,” she says. “Whereas I did not know who I was, what I wanted to do, and what was necessary in the water, I feel that I became an individual and crystal, and understood those things for the first time by coming to Germany.” Another example of finding presence in absence, Shiota’s migration and experience of discovery provides an important touchstone for her thinking and practice. She adds, “Absence does not signify disappearance but rather an integration into a vaster universe, re-entering the flow of time and forming new connections with all things.” (via designboom) “Gateway to Silence” (2025, antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable Detail of “Gateway to Silence” (2025, antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable Detail of “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” (2025), mixed media, dimensions variable “Rooted Memories” (2025), red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable “Rooted Memories” (2025), red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable Detail of “Rooted Memories” (2025), red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable “Multiple Realities” (2025), mixed media, dimensions variable “Echoes of Time” (2025), black yarn and rock, dimensions variable “Echoes of Time” (2025), black yarn and rock, dimensions variable Next article
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  • Stephen Shames Highlights a Transformational Era in ‘Black Panthers & Revolution’

    Black Panther Founder Bobby Seale running for mayor, 8 x 10 inches. All images © Stephen Shames, courtesy of Amar Gallery, shared with permission
    Stephen Shames Highlights a Transformational Era in ‘Black Panthers & Revolution’
    May 21, 2025
    Kate Mothes

    Completed in 1940, California Highway 17—now Interstate 880—bulldozed a vast swath of Oakland’s African American community to make room for the route. Cut off from downtown, these neighborhoods were stripped of their economic connections to the commercial center, disrupting social cohesion and among other policies and attitudes at the time, setting in motion an era of increased unrest.
    One of these damaging policies took the form of the Federal Housing Administration’s systematic program of discriminating against people of color in a process known as redlining. During this time, Black people were prohibited from purchasing homes so that white, middle- or lower-class families could do so instead, and suburban communities were segregated by design. It’s something the people of Oakland simply wouldn’t stand for.
    Black Panther kids demonstrate during the Bobby Seale and Ericka Huggins trial, New Haven, Connecticut, May 1, 1970. Gelatin silver print, printed 2016, 20 x 16 inches
    Starting in the mid-1940s, the Bay Area city was the locus of numerous demonstrations, from general strikes to peaceful protests to all-out riots. Excessive force by the Oakland Police Department exacerbated tensions and gave rise to numerous local organizations like the Oakland Community Organizations, Unity Council, Intertribal Friendship House, and perhaps most famously, the Black Panther Party.
    Often simply called the Panthers or the BPP, the political organization was founded in 1966 by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. Its black berets and infamous so-called “copwatching” practices involved open-carry patrols with the mission to protect Black citizens from abuse by law enforcement. More importantly, the group also implemented a number of “survival programs” that provided essentials like food, medicine, clothing, and transportation to residents.
    Acclaimed photojournalist Stephen Shames had a front row seat to the party’s rise. While they were still in college, Seale invited him to be the official photographer of the BPP, and until 1973, Shames created hundreds of powerful images that highlight the Panthers’ actions and ethos around California and the country.
    “The Black Panther party burst upon our consciousness when Bobby Seale and other Panthers marched upon the California State Capitol in Sacramento—armed with guns,” Shames says in a statement. “This approach electrified a generation of Black youth.” More than 65 percent of the group’s membership comprised women.
    Black Panthers food program, 8 x 10 inches
    The BPP image was carefully choreographed, from militaristic uniforms to its distinctive logo to a deliberate and carefully designed weekly newspaper, with art director Emory Douglas, the party’s visual identity “master craftsman” at the helm.
    In 2016, Shames and Seale co-authored the book Power to the People: The World of the Black Panthers, which showcases Black pride, resilience, and empowerment during this revolutionary era. He says:

    The Panthers did not encourage hatred…The Black Panther Party sought to build a community through service to the people, providing free food and clothing. They gave purpose to the aimless, angry youth who loitered on street corners. The Panthers molded these young people into disciplined, hard workers who served their community and showed respect for mothers, fathers, and elders.

    This month, a remarkable selection of Shames’ photos opens in Black Panthers & Revolution: The Art of Stephen Shames at Amar Gallery.
    Panthers Line Up At A Free Huey Rally in DeFremery Park, Oakland, July 28, 1968. Gelatin silver, 16 x 20 inches
    Striking black-and-white imagery portrays Seale, Newton, and other renowned activists like Angela Davis and James Baldwin among daily scenes of local youth and families, the Panthers’ food distribution program, and demonstrations. Shames’ photographs invoke a range of emotions, from the intensity of BPP rallies to the energy of local programs to the fundamental joy of togetherness and community.
    Shames is known for his bold and emphathetic photo essays that shine light on social issues around the world. His work resides in the permanent collections of MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Art, the National Museum of American History, and dozens more.
    Black Panthers & Revolution opens May 28 and continues through July 7 in London. If you’re in Los Angeles, keep an eye out for Shames’ solo exhibition, Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party, which opens on August 7 at the Museum of Social Justice. Find more on the artist’s website.
    Black Panther medical program, 8 x 10 inches
    Angela Davis, 16 x 20 inches
    Black Panther rally, 8 x 10 inches
    Kids of the Black Panthers, 8 x 10 inches
    Black Panther kid wearing a “Free Angela” T-shirt, 16 x 20 inches
    James Baldwin visiting Black Panther founder Bobby Seale in prison, 16 x 20 inches
    “Free Our Sisters”, 8 x 10 inches
    Black Panther kids, 8 x 10 inches
    Next article
    #stephen #shames #highlights #transformational #era
    Stephen Shames Highlights a Transformational Era in ‘Black Panthers & Revolution’
    Black Panther Founder Bobby Seale running for mayor, 8 x 10 inches. All images © Stephen Shames, courtesy of Amar Gallery, shared with permission Stephen Shames Highlights a Transformational Era in ‘Black Panthers & Revolution’ May 21, 2025 Kate Mothes Completed in 1940, California Highway 17—now Interstate 880—bulldozed a vast swath of Oakland’s African American community to make room for the route. Cut off from downtown, these neighborhoods were stripped of their economic connections to the commercial center, disrupting social cohesion and among other policies and attitudes at the time, setting in motion an era of increased unrest. One of these damaging policies took the form of the Federal Housing Administration’s systematic program of discriminating against people of color in a process known as redlining. During this time, Black people were prohibited from purchasing homes so that white, middle- or lower-class families could do so instead, and suburban communities were segregated by design. It’s something the people of Oakland simply wouldn’t stand for. Black Panther kids demonstrate during the Bobby Seale and Ericka Huggins trial, New Haven, Connecticut, May 1, 1970. Gelatin silver print, printed 2016, 20 x 16 inches Starting in the mid-1940s, the Bay Area city was the locus of numerous demonstrations, from general strikes to peaceful protests to all-out riots. Excessive force by the Oakland Police Department exacerbated tensions and gave rise to numerous local organizations like the Oakland Community Organizations, Unity Council, Intertribal Friendship House, and perhaps most famously, the Black Panther Party. Often simply called the Panthers or the BPP, the political organization was founded in 1966 by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. Its black berets and infamous so-called “copwatching” practices involved open-carry patrols with the mission to protect Black citizens from abuse by law enforcement. More importantly, the group also implemented a number of “survival programs” that provided essentials like food, medicine, clothing, and transportation to residents. Acclaimed photojournalist Stephen Shames had a front row seat to the party’s rise. While they were still in college, Seale invited him to be the official photographer of the BPP, and until 1973, Shames created hundreds of powerful images that highlight the Panthers’ actions and ethos around California and the country. “The Black Panther party burst upon our consciousness when Bobby Seale and other Panthers marched upon the California State Capitol in Sacramento—armed with guns,” Shames says in a statement. “This approach electrified a generation of Black youth.” More than 65 percent of the group’s membership comprised women. Black Panthers food program, 8 x 10 inches The BPP image was carefully choreographed, from militaristic uniforms to its distinctive logo to a deliberate and carefully designed weekly newspaper, with art director Emory Douglas, the party’s visual identity “master craftsman” at the helm. In 2016, Shames and Seale co-authored the book Power to the People: The World of the Black Panthers, which showcases Black pride, resilience, and empowerment during this revolutionary era. He says: The Panthers did not encourage hatred…The Black Panther Party sought to build a community through service to the people, providing free food and clothing. They gave purpose to the aimless, angry youth who loitered on street corners. The Panthers molded these young people into disciplined, hard workers who served their community and showed respect for mothers, fathers, and elders. This month, a remarkable selection of Shames’ photos opens in Black Panthers & Revolution: The Art of Stephen Shames at Amar Gallery. Panthers Line Up At A Free Huey Rally in DeFremery Park, Oakland, July 28, 1968. Gelatin silver, 16 x 20 inches Striking black-and-white imagery portrays Seale, Newton, and other renowned activists like Angela Davis and James Baldwin among daily scenes of local youth and families, the Panthers’ food distribution program, and demonstrations. Shames’ photographs invoke a range of emotions, from the intensity of BPP rallies to the energy of local programs to the fundamental joy of togetherness and community. Shames is known for his bold and emphathetic photo essays that shine light on social issues around the world. His work resides in the permanent collections of MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Art, the National Museum of American History, and dozens more. Black Panthers & Revolution opens May 28 and continues through July 7 in London. If you’re in Los Angeles, keep an eye out for Shames’ solo exhibition, Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party, which opens on August 7 at the Museum of Social Justice. Find more on the artist’s website. Black Panther medical program, 8 x 10 inches Angela Davis, 16 x 20 inches Black Panther rally, 8 x 10 inches Kids of the Black Panthers, 8 x 10 inches Black Panther kid wearing a “Free Angela” T-shirt, 16 x 20 inches James Baldwin visiting Black Panther founder Bobby Seale in prison, 16 x 20 inches “Free Our Sisters”, 8 x 10 inches Black Panther kids, 8 x 10 inches Next article #stephen #shames #highlights #transformational #era
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    Stephen Shames Highlights a Transformational Era in ‘Black Panthers & Revolution’
    Black Panther Founder Bobby Seale running for mayor (1972), 8 x 10 inches. All images © Stephen Shames, courtesy of Amar Gallery, shared with permission Stephen Shames Highlights a Transformational Era in ‘Black Panthers & Revolution’ May 21, 2025 Kate Mothes Completed in 1940, California Highway 17—now Interstate 880—bulldozed a vast swath of Oakland’s African American community to make room for the route. Cut off from downtown, these neighborhoods were stripped of their economic connections to the commercial center, disrupting social cohesion and among other policies and attitudes at the time, setting in motion an era of increased unrest. One of these damaging policies took the form of the Federal Housing Administration’s systematic program of discriminating against people of color in a process known as redlining. During this time, Black people were prohibited from purchasing homes so that white, middle- or lower-class families could do so instead, and suburban communities were segregated by design. It’s something the people of Oakland simply wouldn’t stand for. Black Panther kids demonstrate during the Bobby Seale and Ericka Huggins trial, New Haven, Connecticut, May 1, 1970. Gelatin silver print, printed 2016, 20 x 16 inches Starting in the mid-1940s, the Bay Area city was the locus of numerous demonstrations, from general strikes to peaceful protests to all-out riots. Excessive force by the Oakland Police Department exacerbated tensions and gave rise to numerous local organizations like the Oakland Community Organizations (PICO/OCO), Unity Council, Intertribal Friendship House, and perhaps most famously, the Black Panther Party. Often simply called the Panthers or the BPP, the political organization was founded in 1966 by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. Its black berets and infamous so-called “copwatching” practices involved open-carry patrols with the mission to protect Black citizens from abuse by law enforcement. More importantly, the group also implemented a number of “survival programs” that provided essentials like food, medicine, clothing, and transportation to residents. Acclaimed photojournalist Stephen Shames had a front row seat to the party’s rise. While they were still in college, Seale invited him to be the official photographer of the BPP, and until 1973, Shames created hundreds of powerful images that highlight the Panthers’ actions and ethos around California and the country. “The Black Panther party burst upon our consciousness when Bobby Seale and other Panthers marched upon the California State Capitol in Sacramento—armed with guns,” Shames says in a statement. “This approach electrified a generation of Black youth.” More than 65 percent of the group’s membership comprised women. Black Panthers food program (c.1970s), 8 x 10 inches The BPP image was carefully choreographed, from militaristic uniforms to its distinctive logo to a deliberate and carefully designed weekly newspaper, with art director Emory Douglas, the party’s visual identity “master craftsman” at the helm. In 2016, Shames and Seale co-authored the book Power to the People: The World of the Black Panthers, which showcases Black pride, resilience, and empowerment during this revolutionary era. He says: The Panthers did not encourage hatred…The Black Panther Party sought to build a community through service to the people, providing free food and clothing. They gave purpose to the aimless, angry youth who loitered on street corners. The Panthers molded these young people into disciplined, hard workers who served their community and showed respect for mothers, fathers, and elders. This month, a remarkable selection of Shames’ photos opens in Black Panthers & Revolution: The Art of Stephen Shames at Amar Gallery. Panthers Line Up At A Free Huey Rally in DeFremery Park, Oakland, July 28, 1968. Gelatin silver, 16 x 20 inches Striking black-and-white imagery portrays Seale, Newton, and other renowned activists like Angela Davis and James Baldwin among daily scenes of local youth and families, the Panthers’ food distribution program, and demonstrations. Shames’ photographs invoke a range of emotions, from the intensity of BPP rallies to the energy of local programs to the fundamental joy of togetherness and community. Shames is known for his bold and emphathetic photo essays that shine light on social issues around the world. His work resides in the permanent collections of MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Art, the National Museum of American History, and dozens more. Black Panthers & Revolution opens May 28 and continues through July 7 in London. If you’re in Los Angeles, keep an eye out for Shames’ solo exhibition, Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party, which opens on August 7 at the Museum of Social Justice. Find more on the artist’s website. Black Panther medical program (c.1970s), 8 x 10 inches Angela Davis (c.1970s), 16 x 20 inches Black Panther rally (c.1970s), 8 x 10 inches Kids of the Black Panthers (c.1970s), 8 x 10 inches Black Panther kid wearing a “Free Angela” T-shirt (c.1970s), 16 x 20 inches James Baldwin visiting Black Panther founder Bobby Seale in prison (1969), 16 x 20 inches “Free Our Sisters” (c.1970s), 8 x 10 inches Black Panther kids (c.1970s), 8 x 10 inches Next article
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