Chaotic Facial Markings Express the Wildly Varied Emotions of Reen Barrera’s Imaginative Ohala Dolls

All images © Reen Barrera, shared with permission

Growing up in 90’s Paris, Reen Barrera would often repurpose scraps of fabric and wood into imaginative figures that became central to his play. The constructions were stand-ins for what the Filipino artist considers a “toy-deprived” childhood, and today, Berrera continues the visual language of those early sculptures in his recurring Ohala characters.

Often dressed in stripes and animalistic patchwork hoods, the wildly expressive figures are covered in a chaotic mishmash of symbols and patterns. Barrera likens these markings to the idiom “it’s written all over your face,” a concept that, similar to his earlier figures, continues to ground his practice. “Regardless of what we say, our true feelings can still be emancipated by our facial expressions,” the artist says. “For me, it’s a silent way of communicating something without noise.”

 

Barrera pairs this concern with fleeting emotion and more personal experience with larger themes about class and social standing. While some of the wooden figures are rich with colorful fabrics and splotches of acrylic, oil, and aerosol paints, others are more minimal. “One thing that I want to emphasize is the amount of detail each Ohlala artwork has. Like humans, some have little while some have more,” he shares, explaining further:

Some people are born rich, some are born middle class, some are born poor. But the common ground for everyone is, we all have to deal with it… I cover all the Ohlala dolls heads with canvas cloth to give a freedom to paint their own symbols on their heads, as if they are designing their own fate. I guess that’s what we all have in common; the power to make things happen for ourselves.

In a collaboration with Thinkspace Projects, Barrera’s solo show Children of Divorce is on view through January 15, 2023, at Mesa Contemporary Art Museum. For more of the artist’s works, visit his site and Instagram.

 

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Translucent Textile Sculptures by Do Ho Suh Explore the Familiarity of Quotidian Objects

Detail of “Jet Lag” (2022). Photo by Jeon Taeg Su. All images © Do Ho Suh, courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London

Rather than portray the everyday objects that make up the routine of our lives as immovable or simply structural, Do Ho Suh (previously) captures their sentience. This is not to say that the objects around us are alive but that perhaps our familiarity with them holds a kind of energy to reflect on. In “Jet Lag,” for example, a light switch or a door is made of potently colored translucent fabrics. This invites the viewer to consider the feeling of and the attachment to these small, insignificant companions.

In “Inverted Monument,” Suh similarly captures the energy beneath the eye’s limits of a common object through the structure. What would typically be formed from concrete or some stubborn, weather-proof metal is comprised of adventurous red lines that better capture the materials’ complexity, and in this case, also its context. Again, Suh constructs a radical shift of perspective. An object characteristic of place, history, and the communities it’s formed around is constructed according to the messiness of memory and is turned upside down. The pedestal reaches for the ceiling, and the head sweeps the floor. This subtlety introduces enormous questions about not only the significance of the object and how we interact with it but why it got there in the first place.

See more of Suh’s time and geography-bending sculptures through October 29 at Lehmann Maupin in New York.

 

Detail of “Jet Lag” (2022)

Detail of “Jet Lag” (2022)

Detail of “Jet Lag” (2022)

“Inverted Monument” (2022)

Detail of “Inverted Monument” (2022)

“Jet Lag” (2022)

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From a Volcanic Fissure to a Waterlily Harvest, the 2022 Drone Photo Awards Captures Earth’s Stunning Sights from Above

“Big Bang” by Armand Sarlangue. All images courtesy of Siena Awards Festival, shared with permission

The annual Drone Photo Awards announced its 2022 winners earlier this month, releasing a remarkable collection of images that frame the world’s most alluring landscapes from a rarely-seen view. This year’s contest garnered submissions from 2,624 participants hailing from 116 countries, and the aerial photos capture a vast array of life on Earth, including a caravan of camel shadows crossing the Arabian Desert, a waterlily harvest in West Bengal, and the veiny trails of lava emerging from a fissure near Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano.

Hosted by the Siena Awards Festival, the competition showcases its winning images in a recurring exhibition called Above Us Only Sky, which will run from October 1 to November 20 in the Italian city. Until then, see some of our favorites below and explore the full collection on the awards’ site.

 

“Waterlily Harvesting” by Shibasish Saha

“Duotian” by Ningtai Yu

“Fertility” by Christian Trustrup

“Shadows of the Desert” by Bastian Brüsecke

“Aftermath of La Palma’s Volcano Eruption” by Enrico Pescantini

“Wings of the White Cliffs” by Alexey Kharitonov

“Blue” by Fernando O’farrill

“Fading Faith” by Fabian Balint

“Rooftops of Kartoffelraekkerne Neighborhood” by Serhiy Vovk

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Ancient Design Motifs Meet Contemporary Ceramics in Maxwell Mustardo’s Glowing Sculptures

All images © Maxwell Mustardo, shared with permission, courtesy of Culture Object and Jody Kivort

Gadrooning, an ornamental motif consisting of a series of tapered convex or concave curves, is derived from the decorative exteriors of Roman sarcophagi and antiquities. Renaissance artisans revisited it in the 16th century, and it re-emerged in the neoclassical revival of the 18th and 19th centuries. Referencing ancient designs and what he describes in a statement as the “broad, reverential notions of the vessel,” Maxwell Mustardo playfully examines the function of containers and earthenware over time.

In his gourd-like Gadroons and pudgy Anthropophorae—a series of bulging amphorae—a range of stippled lava glazes complement shocking hues or shimmering PVC coatings. Vibrant colors and swollen forms resemble balloons or 3D renderings displayed on a bright screen, and the resulting perception-bending, flocked-like surfaces make the pieces appear to be floating, wobbling, and glowing.

You can see Mustardo’s work at Culture Object through October 28 in a solo exhibition titled The Substance of Style. More information can also be found on his website and Instagram.

 

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Sharing creativity is our greatest joy, and we rely on the generous support of Colossal Members to sustain our daily operations. For as little as $5 per month, you can read Colossal and our newsletters ad-free and get access to all additional member benefits, including discounts, early access, and a members-only newsletter.

Join today and support the creative stories that matter most. We’re so glad you’re here.

 

Member Perks

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What’s Next for 2022 and Beyond

• Colossal Workshop Series: We’re organizing regular tutorials and workshops with some of the most exciting and engaging artists
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Impressionistic Embroideries by Cassandra Dias Reflect Movement and Lush Landscapes in Thread

All images © Cassandra Dias, shared with permission

Cassandra Dias combines French knots, satin stitches, and various thread-painting techniques into impressionistic landscapes teeming with texture and organic color. Rugged mountains swell in neutral tones, the water’s surface hazily reflects the surrounding trees, and tiny pops of lavender and orange emerge through fields of green. The Camarillo, California-based artist began working with fiber in early 2020 and has since developed her distinctive style, which evokes movement and mimics the visible brushstrokes associated with painting.

For a glimpse into Dias’s process and to keep up with news about available pieces, follow her on Instagram.

 

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DATMA Issues National Call for Public Art Commissions Based on Shelter

Rael San Fratello, “Star Lounge” (2015), PLA plastic. Image courtesy of Andrew Kepinski

Massachusetts Design Art and Technology Institute (DATMA), the non-collecting contemporary art institute, and its partners kicked off a city-wide, collaborative venture called “SHELTER 2022–23.” As part of this initiative, DATMA is issuing a National Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a public outdoor installation on the theme of shelter. New Bedford, Massachusetts will serve as a canvas for art exploring the role of shelter within the histories, communities, and cultures of the SouthCoast region and beyond.

DATMA welcomes artists to consider subjects including but not limited to housing, the Underground Railroad, and/or immigration. Three finalist submissions will be awarded a $1,000 stipend to develop detailed proposals. The final selected work will be awarded $25,000 to cover all artists’ fees, materials, travel, and installation. DATMA will also cover all costs associated with insurance, engineering, permitting, installation equipment, marketing, and PR, as well as overall support for the final selected project. Accepted mediums include mixed media, sculpture, installation, new genres, digital media, film and video, music composition, and photography.

Applications will be accepted beginning now through November 1, 2022. The public outdoor installation will be scheduled for viewing from June 16 to October 10, 2023, at a designated area by the corner of Union Street and Route 18 in New Bedford. The juror panel will consist of Jasmyn Baird, New Bedford Economic Development Council Senior Creative Fellow & Seaport Artwalk Manager; Patrick Shearn, Creative Director & Founder of Poetic Kinetics; and Pat Coomey Thornton, DATMA’s Program Committee Chair.

For more information and to apply, visit datma.org.

 

Abeer Seikaly, “Weaving a Home” (2020), rendering in Desert Environment, Jordan. Image courtesy of the artist

This past season, DATMA presented three individual exhibitions, robust programmatic outreach, and educational workshops which examined the history, economy, and culture of the SouthCoast region rooted in the value of shelter with topics including today’s housing crisis, the Underground Railroad that harbored Black Americans from slavery, the 9,100-foot-long hurricane barrier protecting the harbor of the nation’s most lucrative fishing port, and more.

Works by Do Ho Suh from Seoul, South Korea, Rael San Fratello from Los Angeles, California, and Abeer Seikaly from Jordan have already been presented. In partnership with the New Bedford Historical Society, DATMA also presented “Safe Station,” the story of New Bedford’s unique history in opposition to slavery through the lens of local artists including Fitzcarmel LaMarre, Alison Wells, and students from Our Sisters’ School. In addition, DATMA showcased rare historical photos documenting the critical New Bedford Hurricane Protection Barrier landmark sheltering the city from natural disasters.

 

Do Ho Suh, “Hub-1, Entrance, 260-7, Sungbook-Dong, Sungboo-Ku, Seoul, Korea” (2018), polyester fabric and stainless steel. Image courtesy of Lehmann Maupin

Abeer Seikaly, “Weaving a Home ” (2020), rendering at Al-Namara overlooking the Dead Sea, Jordan. Image courtesy of the artist

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