Eight Humanoid Forms Congregate in a Glowing Gathering Space in Taipei

“Gathering Pavilion.” All photos by BlackBird Imagine Studio, JL, © Ling-Li Tseng, shared with permission

Evoking the supple curves of the human body, an installation by artist Ling-Li Tseng (previously) explores the power of connection and community. Created in collaboration with Serendipity Studio for the 2023 Taipei Lantern Festival, “Gathering Pavilion” is comprised of eight figurative forms that lean together with shoulders touching to establish a space with a flower-shaped opening. Each module is made of laser-cut metal with a baked enamel finish, with lights embedded near the base to shine upward and reflect on the material’s surface.

When on view earlier this year in Four South Village, Xinyi District, Taipei City, viewers “would instinctively walk into the artwork, engaging in a visual dialogue with the humanoid geometry or using the eight modules as frames to catch a glimpse of Taipei 101, the iconic skyscraper,” Tseng told Colossal. “The involvement of viewers completes the artwork, embodying the original intention behind the creation of the ‘Gathering Pavilion.'”

Explore more of Tseng’s organic forms on her site and Instagram.

 

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In Biophilia Pippa Dyrlaga Carves Space to Marvel at Natures Ethereal Intricacies

“Bluebird,” hand-cut 36gsm washi paper and acrylic, 20 x 21 centimeters. All images © Pippa Dyrlaga, courtesy of Heron Arts, shared with permission

Through exquisite cut-paper motifs, Pippa Dyrlaga (previously) evinces the principles of biophilia, the theory that humans are predisposed to connect with nature and other life forms. This hypothesis grounds the Yorkshire-based artist’s first solo show in the U.S., which opens this week at Heron Arts in San Francisco.

Encompassing a range of Dyrlaga’s works from recent years, the exhibition is named after the theory and features meticulously carved compositions that meld flora and fauna. Patterned mesh backdrops surround entire ecosystems with avian and aquatic life, as in “Summer” and “River,” while smaller pieces focus on single creatures like a bluebird or swan as they take flight. Layered with acrylic paint, the works are nostalgic and full of reverence, evoking the immense, insatiable wonder of childhood and the joy of discovering the beauty of the natural world for the first time.

Biophilia runs from June 22 to July 21. Find more of Dyrlaga’s pieces on her site and Instagram.

 

“A Strange and Beautiful Place,” hand-cut 36gsm washi paper and acrylic

“Kingfisher,” hand-cut 36gsm washi paper and acrylic, 20 x 22 centimeters

Left: “Foxglove,” hand-cut paper, approximately 55 x 28 centimeters. Right: “Moss,” hand-cut paper and acrylic, approximately 120 x 45 centimeters

“Swan,” hand-cut paper, 40 x 30 centimeters

“Summer,” hand-cut 36gsm washi paper and acrylic, 90 x 70 centimeters

Top left: “Dandelion,” printed image, hand-cut 36gsm washi paper, and acrylic. Top right: “Gaia” printed image, hand-cut 36gsm washi paper, and acrylic. Bottom left: “Memory Fruit,” printed image, hand-cut 36gsm washi paper, and acrylic. Bottom right: “Tera Mater” printed image, hand-cut 36gsm washi paper, and acrylic

“Seeds,” hand-cut 36gsm washi paper and acrylic

“River,” hand-cut 36gsm washi paper, 40 x 40 centimeters

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Sergiu Ciochină Captures the Dance of Sunlight and Shadows in Textural Vivid Oil Paintings

“Feeling of summer” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters. All images © Sergiu Ciochină, shared with permission

“Shadow and light are the most stable and perfect tools of creation: they unite colors, shapes, and dimensions,” says Moldovan artist Sergiu Ciochină, adding that “shadows move us through diversity, enhancing our perception, while light fills us with the joy of discovery.” In saturated hues, he captures dappled sunlight as it filters through the trees and the rich tones of the golden hour as it casts deep bluish-purple shade onto the sides of houses.

Taking cues from the Impressionists, Ciochină focuses on the nuances of light and its ability to reveal outlines and forms. He works in thick, impasto oil paint on board, emphasizing the shapes of windows, doors, and stoops and transforming otherwise ordinary buildings into compositions glowing with the patterns of foliage, architectural angles, and the texture of brushstrokes. “The symbiosis I create between nature and architecture is intended to evoke a love for space,” he says.

Ciochină’s is preparing to move his studio to France and exhibit in Italy for the first time later this year. His landscapes comprise part of a broader painting practice, which you can explore more of on his Instagram and website.

 

“Home is where your heart is #3” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

“Nostalgia” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

“Green building” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters 

“Sunset #10” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

”Blue shadows #20″ (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

“Sunday #4” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

“Childhood home #51” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

“Peaceful atmosphere in Venice #9” (2023), oil on board, 35 x 50 centimeters

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Families of Tiny Ghosts Haunt Miniature Coffin Houses and Graveyard Gardens

All images © Blacklillybee, shared with permission

There’s plenty of spirit to be found inside Blacklillybee’s miniature coffins. Nestled inside the tiny wooden caskets, centimeter-wide ghosts roam through Victorian-style dollhouses with gravestone gardens, cushy furniture, and gilded frames holding spectral family photos. Each character is made from polymer clay and takes on the classic white bedsheet appearance as they float upstairs or rest by an empty fireplace. The coffins are currently sold out, but keep an eye on the artist’s Instagram for updates.

 

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Mantras Immense Butterfly Murals Flutter Across Buildings and Walls

Jackson, Michigan. All images © Mantra, shared with permission.

Seemingly floating atop vast brick exteriors and inside massive specimen boxes, enormous butterflies stretch their wings, casting a soft shadow on building facades. Now based on both sides of the Atlantic—Switzerland and Mexico City—French artist Mantra (previously) continues to lean into the passion, curiosity, and respect he harbors for nature. Pursuing his childhood dreams of becoming a naturalist, the artist’s signature take on exploring the Lepidoptera through freehand acrylic murals is monumental.

Mantra is inspired by insects’ seemingly effortless movements and motions that are, in actuality, incredibly complex. He explains to Colossal that “it is quite challenging to study a butterfly so closely that your presence will not disturb them. Their flight patterns are unpredictable, and they rarely spend much time resting on a leaf or flower. However, this is precisely what captivates me.” The artist has also had recent opportunities to affirm his artistic practice, such as accompanying a volunteer research program and census by the Cerro Prieto community inside the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.

As he works toward his first museum show in the United States projected to open next year, you can keep up with his work on his Instagram and website.

 

Switzerland

Mantra’s summer studio

Italy

Italy

Spain

Mantra’s studio

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Exquisite Porcelain Figures by Vipoo Srivilasa Express the Ineffable Nature of Beauty and Connection

Left: “My Fabulous Self” (2023), porcelain with cobalt pigment and gold luster, 37 x 22 x 12 centimeters. Center: “Free As An Independence Bird” (2023), porcelain with cobalt pigment and gold luster, 38 x 23 x 12 centimeters. Right: “You Make Me Happy” (2023), porcelain with cobalt pigment and gold luster, 38 x 20 x 10 centimeters. All images © Vipoo Srivilasa, courtesy of Edwina Corlette, shared with permission

Flowers in gold luster and cobalt, small portraits of mythical creatures with feathers and polka dots, and various geometric motifs embellish Vipoo Srivilasa’s porcelain figures, which celebrate abundance and joy through opulent details. On view now at Edwina Corlette in the artist’s solo show Solitude and Connection, the sculptures are otherworldly in form as they meld human anatomy with flora and fauna, exploring “the diverse ways in which love takes shape.”

Born and raised in Thailand and now based in Melbourne, Srivilasa often explores how these two cultures overlap and diverge and what it means to occupy the space in between. Most figures in this recent menagerie hold two fingers in the air, a hand gesture with widely varied meanings depending on the location and context.

Evoking the divine and interconnected forces, the collection also references the unearthly features of deities, profuse growth, and the pleasure derived through simplicity. “Like a diverse array of flowers, love permeates various relationships, encompassing friendships, familial bonds, and the profound connection with nature,” the artist shares. “These relationships, like vibrant petals in a vast garden, remind us that love knows no boundaries or limitations.”

Solitude and Connection is on view through July 4. Find more of Srivilasa’s works and glimpses into his studio and process on his site and Instagram.

 

“Enduring Unity” (2023), glazed porcelain and gold luster

Back of “You Make Me Happy” (2023), porcelain with cobalt pigment and gold luster, 38 x 20 x 10 centimeters

“I Dream of Three Snakes and None of Them Are My History” (2023), porcelain with cobalt pigment and gold luster, 48 x 23 x 11 centimeters

“Harmonising Souls in Sweet Symphony” (2023), porcelain with cobalt pigment and gold luster, 37 x 22 x 12 centimeters

Back of “Enduring Unity 2/3” (2023), glazed porcelain and gold luster, 26 x 21 x 12 centimeters

“Self-partnered” (2023), porcelain with cobalt pigment and gold luster, 38 x 22 x 12 centimeters

Back of “Free As An Independence Bird” (2023), porcelain with cobalt pigment and gold luster, 38 x 23 x 12 centimeters

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Heidi Gustafsons Book of Earth Embarks on a Visual Voyage Through the World of Natural Pigments

All photos © Heidi Gustafson unless noted, courtesy of Abrams, shared with permission

There’s quite a bit more to ochre than the deep, golden hue squeezed out of a tube of paint. “Color is tied to matter, as much as light,” Heidi Gustafson told Colossal in a recent interview. “In fact, in the ochres and Earth pigments, it tends to be the metal elements (iron, copper, lead, etc.) that are responsible for our color experience.”

The Washington-based artist and founder of the Early Futures Ochre Archive (previously) marvels at the diverse hues of naturally-occurring minerals beneath our feet. In her new Book of Earth, published by Abrams, she takes us on a journey through rare pigments and their landscapes in a celebration of the what she describes as the “behavior, capacities, being-ness, language, needs, and concerns” of the material.

Each chapter of Book of Earth is dedicated to an aspect of the Gustafson’s archive, which contains more than 600 samples. The volume elucidates the world of natural color, challenging our perceptions of terrain and the inanimate world, and includes practical advice and techniques for creating your own pigments. Find your copy on Bookshop.

 

Photo by Chiara Zonca

Photo by Sheena Callage

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