13 Artists Rewild the City Streets for the 2023 Nuart Aberdeen Festival

Swoon. Photo by Brian Tallman. All images courtesy of Nuart Aberdeen, shared with permission

Rewilding is an approach to conservation that allows nature to reclaim its space and form a self-sustaining ecosystem. The restoration practice has become one favored solution to remedy environmental degradation and part of the lexicon for climate activism. In Scotland, the increasingly popular approach also brings discussions of land use and access to the fore, paralleling the way people move through cities.

Using rewilding as a way to reimagine what it means to cultivate street art culture, the 2023 Nuart Aberdeen Festival brought together 13 artists earlier this month. Held June 8 to 11, the annual festival commissioned works that explore the tension between sanctioned murals and the unauthorized tags synonymous with street art. Projects include Thiago Mazza’s vivid rendering of native plants, Nespoon’s reference to craft traditions of the area’s Bon Accord Bobbins Lace Group, and Murmure’s imprisoned goldfish that explicates the proliferation of plastic and inaction as it relates to the climate crisis. Swoon, known for her intimate wheat pastes, even came out of retirement to create a series of portraits spread across walls and tucked in doorways and alcoves.

Nuart organizers said this year’s goal was to “provoke reflections on what a city where art is truly free might look, sound, smell, and feel like.” See more from the festival on Instagram.

 

Swoon. Photo by Brian Tallman

Murmure, “Anarchy.” Photo by Brian Tallman

Nespoon. Photo by Brian Tallman

Thiago Mazza. Photo by Brian Tallman

Escif, “Pollution forest.” Photo by Brian Tallman

Eloise Gillow. Photo by Brian Tallman

Eloise Gillow. Photo by Brian Tallman

Tamara Alves. Photo by Clarke Joss

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In Ink and Watercolor Illustrations Felicia Chiao Immerses Curious Characters in Surreal Scenarios

“Weepy Chrysanthemums.” All images © Felicia Chiao, shared with permission

Whether floating in pools of rainwater in the center of chrysanthemums or navigating the chaos of a fish tank, the characters in Felicia Chiao’s drawings encounter surreal circumstances that tap into complex emotions. Her illustrations (previously) follow the experiences and interactions of solemn figures who search for the sun, become immersed in blossoms, and appear both curious about and overwhelmed by the huge world around them.

Chiao incorporates anthropomorphized elements of nature to represent moods, like in “Try,” which contrasts the cheerful, sunny top level of an apartment with a dim, melancholy lower level that gets little light. In “Bloat,” a dark, inner monster—a recurring specter—is dispelled by the shining sun. Peering past giant flower petals or surrounded by prying eyes, her figures express universal feelings of awe, anxiety, uncertainty, and joy.

Long using Copic markers for her drawings, Chiao recently switched to watercolor for gallery works, maintaining a similar style of washed hues while achieving better archival quality. She continues to use the markers for personal work, sharing with Colossal, “The new medium, however, has enabled me to push the boundaries of scale and color application.” Some of these pieces are part of New Normal, the artist’s solo exhibition at Giant Robot in Los Angeles that continues through June 28 and showcases her new watercolors.

In October, Chiao will be part of a group exhibition presented by Hi-Fructose Magazine at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadephia, and she’s looking forward to another solo show next year in New York City with Harman Projects. Follow updates on Instagram and Patreon, and find prints on Society6.

 

“Fish Tank”

“Chrysanthemum”

Left: “Growth.” Right: “Bloat”

“Try”

“Floral White”

“Geraniums”

“Handle With Care”

“Pattern Worms”

“Seen”

“Waiting”

“Sun God”

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Vanessa Barragãos Sprawling Biomorphic Textiles Evoke the Remarkable Textures of the Sea Floor

All images © Vanessa Barragão, shared with permission

Sprawling tufts of looped, wound, and crocheted yarn sprawl across walls and floors in Vanessa Barragão’s elaborate, nature-inspired textiles. The Portuguese artist (previously) draws inspiration from the textures of coral, rock pools, botanicals, and the cosmos to compose expansive fiber pieces.

Each piece can take upwards of three weeks to complete, as Barragão and a team of six studio assistants—including her mother, sister, with additional crocheted contributions from her grandmothers—collaboratively knot the yarn through every single hole in the jute canvas to create lush, biomorphic forms.

If you’re near Lisbon, you can find Barragão’s work in Morphosis at the Museu das Artes de Sintra, Portugal, alongside ceramicist Catarina Nunes, which opens June 29 and runs through October 1. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

 

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Waterfalls Spill Across the Dramatic Lush Landscapes of the Faroe Islands

All images © Jennifer Esseiva, shared with permission

Steep cliffs, narrow passes, waterfalls, and wide, sloping hills are fixtures among the ocean bound landscapes of the Faroe Islands. The archipelago in the North Atlantic is a cluster of 18 individual islands, a few of which Swiss photographer Jennifer Esseiva (previously) visited last April. On Vágar and Kasloy, she documented the dramatic vistas, peering out from summits and across vast swaths of land and sea.

Esseiva shares that reaching her destinations required a significant amount of hiking, made extra difficult due to intense wind and rain. She explains:

The rain comes in whenever it wants, often accompanied by a strong wind! We’re in a wild environment where the weather changes rapidly…Suffering from vertigo, this trip was a real challenge for me, especially on the island of Kalsoy. On its northern tip is the small lighthouse of Kallur, nestled in a spicy setting and surrounded by sheer cliffs. The best photographic compositions require you to get close to the cliffs, which are battered by the wind.

In the coming weeks, Esseiva plans to share photos from Eysturoy and Streymoy islands, so keep an eye on Instagram for updates.  Prints are available on Etsy.

 

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The 2023 Audubon Photography Awards Zeros In on Threats to Avian Life Amid the Climate Emergency

Liron Gertsman, Rock Pigeons, White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Grand Prize Winner. All images courtesy of Audubon Photography Awards, shared with permission

About two-thirds, or 389 species, of birds native to North America are at risk of extinction due to the effects of the climate crisis. Rising global temperatures are predicted to force adaption or migration to new territories, two consequences of human-caused change that imperil avian survival. Some of the most threatened species include the dunlin, short–eared owl, and Baltimore oriole, all of which are featured in this year’s Audubon Photography Awards.

Selected from 2,200 entries, the winners of the 2023 contest spotlight a mix of avian antics. A rock pigeon sweetly grooms a mate, a reddish egret snaps up a tiny fish, and a chinstrap penguin dive into frigid Antarctic waters. While not all species photographed are in immediate danger, the images together showcase birds’ vast diversity and its potential loss amid climate disaster.

The Audubon Photography Awards are now in the fourteenth year, and you can find all of the top entries from 2023, along with previous winners, on its site.

 

Sandra M. Rothenberg, Baltimore Oriole, Warren, Pennsylvania. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Female Bird Prize Winner

Nathan Arnold, Reddish Egret, San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve, Fort Myers, Florida. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Amateur Honorable Mention

Linda Scher, Verdin and cane cholla, Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Plants For Birds Winner

Vicki Santello, tree swallows and bald cypress, Atchafalaya Swamp, Louisiana. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Plants For Birds Honorable Mention

Karen Blackwood, Chinstrap Penguin, near Esperanza Station in Cierva Cove, Antarctica. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Amateur Winner

Kieran Barlow, Dunlin, Barnegat Light, New Jersey. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Youth Winner

Left: Shane Kalyn, Atlantic Puffin, Westman Islands, Iceland. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Professional Winner. Right: Sunil Gopalan, Brown Pelican, Galapagos National Park, Ecuador. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Fisher Prize Winner

Liron Gertsman, Northern Hawk Owl, Thompson-Nicola, British Columbia, Canada. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Professional Honorable Mention

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Playful Hues and Plump Lips Adorn Tatiana Cardonas Expressive Ceramic Vessels

All images © Tatiana Cardona, shared with permission

Glistening glazes highlight voluptuous lips and cheeky grimaces in ceramics by Tatiana Cardona, who runs the shop Female Alchemy (previously). Based in Miami, the artist draws on a love for vibrant colors with an emphasis on pinks and reds, creating functional sculptures embellished with expressive facial features. Inspired by the feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s when donning bright red lipstick was used as a form of protest, she focuses on creating lively objects that are as empowering as they are enjoyable.

Cardona regularly collaborates with well-known brands like Adidas and Fenty Beauty, and she tells Colossal that she is excited to begin exploring and experimenting with new themes. She occasionally releases batches of new work on her website, and you can follow updates on Instagram.

 

 

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