In ‘Walks of Life,’ Migwa Nthiga Photographs the Communities Most Impacted by the Climate Crisis

All images © Migwa Nthiga, shared with permission

Those living near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya have been experiencing the brunt of the climate crisis. Already a dry, arid region, recurring droughts have left communities without water for animals, crops, and drinking, requiring people to leave their homes for more stable and fertile landscapes.

“Tribes could walk hundreds of kilometers in search for greener pastures and water in the scorching heat with scores of the livestock dying along the way,” says Migwa Nthiga, who recently photographed the Indigenous Nilotic people native to Turkana in his series, Walks of Life. “Often, we get international foreign photographers coming to tell these stories with their own biases and agenda that may not reflect the true nature of the tribes they have come to photograph,” he says, sharing that his first encounters with his subjects were random. “My team and I set out on an adventure with very little fixed expectations. We wanted to photograph any interesting stories we would stumble upon.”

Through intimate portraiture and candid shots, Nthiga documents the daily lives of fishermen as they plunge into the lake or of children at home with their families. Encompassing an array of emotions from joyful to intensely focused, the series shares a nuanced narrative about what it means to live in the region so profoundly impacted by the climate crisis.

Nthiga created Walks of Life with the help of photography assistant Joseph Theo, producer Nina Bola, and consulting creative director Jason Bruckner. He will show some of his photos from March 3 to 19 at The Nook in Nanyuki, where he lives, and is currently working on a climate-centric film about a Turkana fashion stylist. You can follow his latest project on Instagram and Behance.

 

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Mesmerizing Paper Sculptures and Animations by Zai Divecha Convey the Subtlety of Change

All images © Zai Divecha, courtesy of Heron Arts shared with permission

In Phase Shift, San Francisco-based artist Zai Divecha (previously) translates the illusion of movement to monochromatic paper works. Her solo show, which runs from February 25 to March 25 at Heron Arts, features animations and sculptures that reference early stop-motion devices like zoetropes and phenakistoscopes. Both rely on sequential formations to imply progression, a technique the artist utilizes in her analog pieces that convey gradual changes.

Divecha is known for her singular use of white paper, which draws the viewer’s eye toward the texture, dimension, and depth of her works and the way they capture light and shadow. Mounted on flat planes, the pieces consider that “what we might see as static is actually changing incrementally over time.”

For more of Divecha’s multi-disciplinary works, visit her site and Instagram.

 

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Monumental Bubbles Pop Up in Public Spaces in Atelier Sisu’s Inflatable Installations

“Evanescent.” All images © Atelier Sisu, shared with permission

Whether illuminated by the sun or spotlights, the undulating layers of Atelier Sisu’s playful installations are a presence in public spaces. The Sydney-based studio, which is a collaboration between artists Renzo B. Larriviere and Zara Pasfield, celebrates community interaction and joy in their vibrant, inflatable designs. A buttress between art and architecture, their practice focuses on the interaction between art and the surrounding environment. “Our aim is not simply to create something beautiful or a temporary sculpture but to re-interpret our public spaces through architectural choices,” the studio says in a statement.

Atelier Sisu’s self-described “bubble-tecture” is exemplified in the iridescent spheres of “Evanescent,” which features enormous, translucent orbs that stick one another and appear to tumble across lawns or plazas. Conceived during the pandemic when the artists, like many of us, were faced with uncertainty and began to more closely consider the delicate balance of stability and the fleeting nature of time, the studio “endeavoured to communicate this feeling of transient beauty and the need to live in the moment through the idea of the bubble.” The piece has been displayed in more than 22 different cities in 12 different countries.

“Evanescent” is currently on view at Leadenhall Market in London through February 10. You can find more work on the studio’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.

 

“Iris”

“Evanescent”

“Alcazar.” Photo courtesy of House of the Arts

Detail of “Alcazar.” Photo courtesy of House of the Arts

Left: “Splendour.” Right: “Sky of Bubbles”

“Evanescent”

“Evanescent” and “Evanescent Droplets”

“Evanescent”

“Labyrinth”

“Labyrinth”

“Splendour”

Detail of “Splendour”

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Symmetric Flora and Fauna Converge in Kelly Louise Judd’s Dreamlike Paintings

All images © Kelly Louise Judd, shared with permission

Symmetry and mirroring inform many of Kelly Louise Judd’s paintings, which intertwine flora and fauna in delicate compositions. Ferns overlay the long tails of two cats, a lanky heron gracefully perches among bluebells and sunflowers, and human hands reach upward to reveal sprawling botanicals. Rendered on neutral-toned backdrops, the works evoke the patterns and organic recurrences found throughout the natural world.

Judd, who lives and works in the Midwest, generously shares glimpses into her process on Instagram, and you can shop prints of her pieces on Etsy.

 

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Dramatic Landscapes and Dazzling Portraits Highlight Global Perspectives in the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards

Gyu Seob Shim, Republic of Korea, 1st Place, National Awards. All images © the photographers, shared with permission courtesy of the Sony World Photography Awards

From the sinuous lines of a leaping cat, to a giant tortoise gliding alongside a snorkeler, to a lone cyclist illuminated on a road juxtaposed against a looming city, the winning images from this year’s Sony World Photography Awards (previously) showcase a remarkable slice of life captured by photographers hailing from 55 countries around the globe. Now in its 16th year, the competition garnered more than 415,000 entries from more than 200 nations and territories, about half of which were entered into the running for the National Awards, an initiative set up by the World Photography Organization and Sony to support local photographic communities around the world.

Check out some of our favorite images below, and if you’re in London, stop by Somerset House between April 14 and May 1 to see all of the winning images on display, including top picks from the student, youth, open, and professional categories.

 

Filip Hrebenda, Slovakia, Shortlist, Regional Awards

Thiện Nguyễn Ngọc, Vietnam, Winner, National Awards

Huazheng Hong, Singapore, Winner, National Awards

Kazutoshi Ono, Japan, 2nd Place, National Awards

Protap Shekhor Mohanto, Bangladesh, Winner, National Awards

Nukabari Opuama, Nigeria, Winner, National Awards

Manuel Rodríguez, Costa Rica, Shortlist, Latin America National Awards

Samia Berbiche, France, Winner, National Awards

Niks Freimanis, Latvia, Shortlist, Regional Awards

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Meticulous Folds Form Maze-Like Hallways and Ornate Spaces in Simon Schubert’s Paper Reliefs

“Untitled (Grand Stairway)” (2013), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters. All images © Simon Schubert, shared with permission

In Simon Schubert’s intricate folded compositions, bars of sunlight dash across door frames, ornate cornicing, and parquet floors in a complex interplay of geometric forms. Relying exclusively on the way light rakes across the surface of paper, the Cologne-based artist meticulously folds single sheets to precisely render the angles and perspectives of architectural interiors.

The artist begins each piece with a sketch, often focusing on mirrored or symmetrical scenes in historic buildings and emphasizing the continuity of long hallways, connecting doors, and reflections. Although Schubert currently centers on the built environment, his first foray into folding the material was an experiment in making a portrait of the Irish novelist Samuel Beckett while the artist was assisting with research into the author’s text and video works at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Beckett’s wrinkles were interpreted into creases in the paper, and the artist was fascinated by the idea of drawing without using any traditional materials beyond the paper itself. “The idea was to bring the drawing to a point to where it was almost no longer a drawing,” Schubert says.

Part of a broader artistic practice that explores themes of place, experience, architecture, and imagination, Schubert’s folded paper works translate three-dimensional surroundings into monochromatic reliefs. Subtlety is essential, and there are some surprises lurking, like the ghostly form of a figure who walks up the stairs or an enigmatic shadow that plays against a wall.

Schubert’s work will be part of an exhibition with Foley Gallery in New York later this year, and you can find more of his work on his website and Instagram.

 

“Untitled (Perspective)” (2021), folded paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

“Untitled (Grand Hall)” (2013), folded paper, 70 x 100 centimeters

“Untitled (Intricated Light)” (2022), folded paper, 50 x 35 centimeters

“Untitled (Intricated 23)” (2018), folded paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

“Untitled (Light in Corridor)” (2020), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters

“Untitled (Salon Hanging)” (2010), folded paper, 150 x 150 centimeters

“Untitled (Two Perspectives)” (2022), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters

“Untitled (Shadow in Room)” (2021), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters

“Untitled (Shadow on Stairs)” (2021), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters

“Untitled (Licht in Spiegel und Räumen)” (2023), folded paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

“Portrait of Samuel Beckett,” folded paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

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Vibrant Hybrid Figures Emerge in Lou Benesch’s Spiritual Watercolor Illustrations

“Liminal Waltz.” All images © Lou Benesch, shared with permission

Fantastic creatures with keen attitudes and fragments of human anatomy occupy the vivid watercolor illustrations of Lou Benesch. From her studio in Paris, the French-American artist visualizes the characters that populate folklore, Greek myths, and classic fairytales through distinctive renderings of animal hybrids. Muscular spotted horses, shaggy wolf costumes, and a seemingly omnipresent third eye populate the surreal compositions, which are often framed by small archways and minimal backdrops.

Because Benesch gravitates toward narrative, much of her practice is an act of translation. When starting an illustration, she forgoes sketches and instead writes ideas down before picking up a pencil or brush. She might reflect on memories from her childhood, dreams, or larger, more philosophical questions about what it means to be a woman or the role spirituality plays in her life and that of others, and these narratives shape her scenes. “Whether they are mine, yours, or an entire population’s, mythologies and stories of all kinds are so important as a means of communication, connection, and appeasement,” she said in an interview.

If you’re in Los Angeles, you can see Benesch’s work as part of a group exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary this February, and she has a few pieces on view at Antler Gallery in Portland, as well. Find originals and prints in her shop, and follow her practice on Instagram.

 

“The Angel”

“The Stars”

“The Palace”

“The Dress”

“The Snow”

“Rising Waters”

“The Fire”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Vibrant Hybrid Figures Emerge in Lou Benesch’s Spiritual Watercolor Illustrations appeared first on Colossal.

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