Closing out this decade with a look at the design trends of the last decade. How many of these are part of your home? As we wrap up the decade and recap this yearlong series, we want to know which designs and trends you think will endure?
Via: Design Through the Decades: The 2010sPhoto by Carton Interiors – Browse bedroom ideasPhoto by Noon Home – Search kitchen design ideasPhoto by Rikki Snyder – Look for dining room pictures
Urban artist Sonny – known for his giant murals of endangered species adorned on walls worldwide – has created a new series of animal paintings which seek to explore themes of tribal connection and ancient wisdoms.
Putting tigers, a lion and an ape within the context of their natural environment, the Johannesburg-based artist has a deep interest in ancient traditions, tribal relics and heritage where it relates to the value of the natural world.
Fascinated by wildlife from a young age, the British-born artist has since become known worldwide for his wonderful large-scale wildlife murals that are scattered across the globe.
Endangered species and conservation are just some of the environmental issues that Sonny has taken to the streets of London, New York, Ireland, Johannesburg and more to illustrate on walls as a way to imprint into people’s awareness and to encourage them to protect the animals for future generations.
From the tigers, lions, polar bears, grizzly bears, birds and rhinos emblazoned on walls, Sonny’s artworks are beautiful and fascinating, capturing the true essence of these mighty beings of the animal kingdom with every intricate detail – honouring the true beauty and power of these animals.
In 2017 Sonny launched his To The Bone project with a global mural tour that brought some of the world’s most iconic and endangered animals into urban environments around the world.
The animals depicted in To The Bone once roamed freely and in numbers across the globe, before intruders invaded their land and pillaged their forests, killing for profits and power. To The Boneconveys a deep love of and respect for the animal kingdom, as well as a sense of anxiety, guilt, and outrage towards crimes perpetrated against our wildlife.
The To The Bone project, which culminated in Sonny’s first solo exhibition in New York in 2018, was accompanied by a series of skull sculptures, made from polyurethane resin which “with their golden teeth ablaze, the skulls [of endangered species] invoke an appreciation of the might and power of these creatures, while serving as a tangible symbol for what the future may hold”.
Images Source: Sonny
Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyles including sustainable and green living. She also offers content services to businesses and individuals at Rosamedea.com
May the stars of Christmas always shine your way. We wish you all a Merry Christmas from our family to yours- Nisha Desai, Nisha Designs
“The Winter Solstice or Yule It begins on “Mother Night” and ends twelve days later, on “Yule Night”, hence the “Twelve Days of Christmas” tradition.
Yule is a time of the Goddess of the Cold Darkness and the birth of the Divine Child, the reborn Sun God. It is a time of renewal and rebirth during Winter, and the turning of the Earth force tides.The Winter Solstice had been associated with the birth of a “Divine King” long before the rise of Christianity. Yule is about renewal, re-birth, returning hope and life.”- Ravenhawks Magazine
Link: https://ravenhawksmagazine.net/2018/12/14/yule-winter-solstice/
Habiba Nowrose from Dhaka, Bangladesh photographs from the lens of women’s rights. Her portraits are rich with motifs that signify personality, from bright flowers to colorful garments. But the most identifying aspect of the Nowrose’s subjects are missing — her models’ faces are covered with fabric, leaving only an outline of a figure behind. Her series “Concealed” reflects on women’s personal sacrifices to meet societal expectations. This assimilation leaves the faceless subject anonymous to themselves, and their viewers.
To see more of her Art/ Photography please visit: http://www.habibanowrose.com
We Roast, Baste and Bake. Gesturing Love and Friendship. Feast of Togetherness and Gratitude. Wishing you and family a peaceful Magickal Thanksgiving. Blessed Be – Nisha Desai, Nisha Designs.
The Triumph of imagination and individuality. These beautiful artist of boulder, colorado have created amazing art to inspire dialogue and model pathways toward a more empowered, positive culture though art.
Street Wise is an art experience driven by social activism. Art as activism or Artivism is a way to heal and restore our sense of personal power as well as create positive change. “Street Wise” hopes to encourage conversations about important issues that affect our culture, using art as a catalyst. Street art has a rich history in activism and social commentary and it is constantly evolving alongside society- Canyon Gallery, Boulder
11.18.19 Hello again… Shadow Spotlight Week, featuring Native Americans in the creative fields. I have found about several Native American artists that are making their mark in the present. Nicholas Galanin As an artist, Nicholas Galanin has utilized a wide range of tools and techniques and tapped into influences from conceptual art, pop culture, indigenous […] […]
Shadow Spotlight: Native Americans in Art — SHADOWBOXERINC — ravenhawks’ magazine
A mural created to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable energy has been created in Turin. From Barcelona based Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada. It is a piece which, according to the artist, “alludes to the importance of acting now to assure a positive outcome.” Called ‘Promise’ it features the image of a young girl. She is…
via Mural by Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada in Turin raises awareness of Sustainable Energy — Inspiring City
“Painting takes me to another world where I am as free as a bird,” says Judhaiya Baiga. She says this is her way of putting her village on the global map and keeping her traditions alive.
Judhaiya Bai Baiga’s painting recently travelled all the way to a Milan exhibition in Italy and was sold instantly. This was not the first time Baiga’s painting was displayed in an exhibition along with paintings of other talented artists.
A resident of Lorha village in Madhya Pradesh, 80-year-old Baiga who belongs to a tribal community, has the distinction of seeing her art travelling to several art galleries in India and abroad.
“Age or fame has nothing to do with the errors. Perfecting any art is a myth as there is always scope for improvement,” Baiga repeats the sentence from the other end of the phone in case the message was not heard.
Despite being a Diwali week, Baiga is kind enough to oblige for an interview. The excitement to share tales of her village and paintings is clearly evident in her voice.
When asked how she feels about getting international recognition, she says, “It has not changed my life as such. But yes, a change can be seen as more and more women, including my daughter-in-law are taking an interest in painting. Some of these women always wanted to paint but did not have avenues back then.”
How Age Worked In Baiga’s Favour
Baiga belongs to a tribal community heavily dependent on forest resources for their livelihood and some engage in menial jobs. Education, roads and employment are still to reach the interiors of the region.
She lost her husband when she turned 40 and now lives with her two sons. Her only daughter is now married.
Baiga decided to start her second innings with a colourful attitude, literally.
Happy in their world, her community loves to dress in the brightest and most colourful clothes and lead life with the belief that there is no substitute to hard work.
This is probably the reason why Baiga took up painting at 70, an age when most people retire and indulge in rest. But Baiga, who worked in the fields for most of her life, finds relaxation in painting.
“Painting takes me to another world where I am as free as a bird. When I learnt about a teacher who is willing to teach for free in our village, I decided to give painting a try, something I was never interested in. Yet, on the very first day, I found my passion,” says Baiga.
She joined Ashish Swami, a well-known art teacher and an alumnus of Shantiniketan, West Bengal. He runs his studio ‘Jangan Tasweerkhana’ in several tribal belts of Madhya Pradesh to prevent local cultures and traditions from becoming extinct.
“We have such rich cultures across India that are on the verge of dying. Painting is an effective means to save them. By articulating the local practices or customs in paintings, we can also tell other people about local traditions,” Swami tells TBI.
Almost a decade ago, Swami opened a studio in a small room of Baiga’s village. He teaches painting for free and also helps them get fair monetary value through art dealings. Close to 15 local women have been a part of Swami’s classes for the past ten years.
Swami, particularly enjoys teaching people from Lorha village because of their peculiar imagination that colours the canvas.
“Even if they draw something as basic as a tree, their outlook is so different from the rest. They manage to capture innocence in wild animals and serenity in clouds. Their definition of a perfect nature lies in the harmony or co-existence between trees, birds, animals, water bodies and humans,” he explains.
Initially, Baiga and Swami would be happy with whatever amount the painting would be sold at. But soon, they realised the value of the paintings and stood firm on their quotations.
“Paintings are sold on craft and not on how creative they are. We are trying to change that and promote creativity by taking the painters to exhibitions that take place across India. Currently, paintings by Baiga are valued anything between Rs 300 to Rs 8,000,” he says.
While Baiga is content with the money her paintings are making, it is not the motivating factor behind her passion. For Baiga, its her way of putting her village on the global map and keeping traditions alive.
People like Baiga prove that there is no age to learning, and even nature can educate, one only has to be receptive.
Narisha “Nish” Cash, an Aboriginal self-taught female graffiti artist from Adelaide, is challenging the misconception that the world of graffiti and street art is a “man’s world”.
The Jingili and Mudburra artist has been a regular on the street art scene in the South Australian city since the 1990s when at the age of 15 she first started paving street walls with her work. With her tag ‘ISHK’ (the sound of a spray can), her art has evolved over the years to include themes of femininity, colour and form, nature and her aboriginal culture.
In an interview with SBS, she said: “I usually paint strong powerful women with elements of strength and tough qualities through guns, bandanas, and piercings. What appeals to me of the female form is that it’s the giver of life, its Mother Nature, its beauty.
“I’ve always been surrounded by strong women and it’s important for my characters speak that. There’s a lot of strength around being a woman, especially an Aboriginal woman.”
After becoming a mother, Narisha Cash saw the opportunity to channel her creative practices into a career. She also used her art as a form of healing to overcome obstacles she encountered as a teen and young woman growing up in Adelaide.
She said: “When I started out doing graff there wasn’t a lot of females out there. I’d never thought I’d make a living out of it.”
Inspired by hip hop and breakdancing culture also, it was the artist’s foray into grafitti that opened her up to delving into breakdancing, DJing and MCing.
A well respected and maternal figure in communities across Australia, Narisha Cash also works as Community Arts and Youth Engagement Officer at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute. She shares her knowledge as an artist with youth groups and engages them through art workshops, developing and creating public art murals and opportunities for emerging artists and young people at risk.
Taking graffiti art in the context of the coded language of the streets, the Aboriginal artist, with her unique and feminine style of aerosol art, relates her practice to her ancestors creating art work – storytelling, culture and symbolism – to communicate through their natural surroundings.
Narisha Cash believes that grafitti has the ability to connect young people, especially indigenous youth who feel disconnected to culture, in a way that inspires, empowers and educates.
She told SBS: “It gives them something to do that’s positive, rather than turning to grog (alcohol) or drugs, enabling kids to turn to music, dance, painting.
“In our culture, we have the dance, music and arts so it’s important for young people to get themselves out there and be that next generation to get out there and carry that positive torch on and be positive with their outlet.
“I think it’s important for young people to have a variety of ways to express themselves, be it creating public art or transporting spaces into something beautiful.
“I want kids to get an inspiration to get a career in the artistic field and follow my footsteps…I think it’s important for youth to see Aboriginal people doing good things.”
Image Source: Narisha Cash Facebook page
Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyles including sustainable and green living. She also offers content services to businesses and individuals at Rosamedea.com
In a world of fear and constantly being someone else, it is a blessing to be me, a witchy cat.🎃 Happy 👻 Halloween- The Witchy Cat
