The Flower of Tujia Weaves History and Culture Through 150000 Meters of Red Brocade Thread

All images © YI+MU, shared with permission

Intricate geometric patterns and rich hues distinguish the  woven textiles of China’s Tujia people, who call the Wuling Mountains home in western Hunan. In the nearby city of Zhangjiajie, the new China Tu­jia Bro­cade Mu­seum will be dedicated to the art of Xi­lan Kapu, or Tujia brocade, to celebrate the culture’s distinctive creativity and preserve an endangered craft. In a remarkable architectonic installation called “The Flower of Tujia,” 150,000 meters of red brocade thread creates an awe-inspiring centerpiece for the main space.

Designed by Yi Chen and Muchen Zhang of Beijing-based design studio YI+MU, the artwork spans more than 1,000 square meters along a grid of 20 beams, allowing the fiber to alternately reveal and conceal the geometry of stairwells and windows as one moves around. “The di­a­mond-shape struc­ture in­spired by the iconic pat­tern of the Tu­jia bro­cade is clearly vis­i­ble from all an­gles,” the studio says. Symbolically interpreting the 30-step process of Xi­lan Kapu into a three-dimensional piece, the design unifies and highlights the museum’s interior and sparks a sense of wonder that verges on the spiritual, a key aspect of YI+MU’s philosophy.

The museum building was completed in 2022 and an opening date is yet to be announced. Find more of YI+MU’s projects on the studio’s website. (via designboom)

 

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Daniel Rueda and Anna Devís New Book Happytecture Finds Beauty and Whimsy in Architectural Details

“Window Shopping.” All images © Daniel Rueda and Anna Devís, shared with permission

Whether interacting with architecture or crafting their own sets, photography duo Daniel Rueda and Anna Devís (previously) find endless inspiration in the built environment. Grounded in their training as architects, the Valencia-based pair conceive of visual puns and whimsical ways to augment existing structures and spaces by adding new design elements and donning garments that blend in with the scenery.

Happytecture, a new book published by Counterprint, celebrates the last several years of their joy-filled practice of transforming ordinary locations into eye-catching, witty works of art. Saturated hues and exquisitely produced props characterize Devís and Rueda’s compositions, the result of scouting unique locations and finding imaginative ways to incorporate new shapes, palettes, and clothing. By precisely matching patterns or embellishing with bows, they add new meaning to existing designs and challenge us to see our surroundings differently.

Follow both Devís and Rueda’s Instagrams for updates, and on their website, you can purchase a signed copy of the book with the option to include a print. You can also find the book in Counterprint’s shop.

 

“I Light What I See”

“Weight For It”

“Strong HER”

“Sandtasy”

“Verti-go or Verti-stay?”

“Pink-a-boo”

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How Do You Like Them Apples? Can Suns Playful Sculptures Emerge from Bright Red Fruit

All images © Can Sun, shared with permission

If anyone ever told Can Sun not to play with his food, it’s a good thing he didn’t listen. The London-based Chinese artist meticulously carves red apples into geometric cross-sections and linking chains, sometimes adding accoutrements like brass hinges. Delicate slices are puzzled together to form circles or the skin carefully removed to reveal interlocking, rope-like shapes, as if the apple is caught in a net.

“I had a really tough childhood. For a long period, humour has been a way to protect my self-esteem,” Sun tells Colossal, sharing that he chose to focus on apples because the unexpected arises from the ordinary. “My work tries to break the audience’s logical expectations, which makes the audience wonder if the world is absurd. The more everyday the object, the greater shock when the audience sees its different forms.”

Sun enjoys playfully reinterpreting all sorts of everyday objects into uncanny artworks, like a wearable temporary sculpture made from dandelions that mimics brass knuckles. His work will be included in group exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai this July and August, and you can follow updates on Instagram. (via BoingBoing)

 

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Maps Everyday Ephemera and Watercolor Drawings Record José Naranjas Travels with Fantastic Detail

All images © José Naranja, shared with permission

Rather than scrolling through photos from a recent trip, José Naranja (previously) remembers his travels through exceptionally detailed sketchbooks with notes, illustrations, and ephemera collected during his visits. The artist and author is an avid tourist and dedicated observer, and he saturates the blank pages of his Moleskines with watercolor and ink drawings of airplanes, film characters, and maps. Like most of us, Naranja was unable to travel during much of the last few years, although he’s resumed his adventures and frequented Thailand and other parts of Asia, which are reflected in his latest spreads.

Currently, Naranja is working on an experimental illustrated oracle deck that envisions the year 2050 through the lens of science, art, and philosophy, all tinged with his signature fantastical approach. The artist’s latest book, The Nautilus Manuscript, is available now, and you can follow updates on his work on Instagram.

 

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Exquisite Paintings by Lee Me Kyeoung Are an Ode to the Quaint Corner Stores of South Korea

All images © Lee Me Kyeoung, shared with permission

City dwellers know that convenience stores have a culture unto themselves, and although franchises continue to dominate and overtake businesses, small, independently run shops have undeniable charm. For the past several years, artist Lee Me Kyeoung (previously) has been adding to her ongoing series of paintings that celebrate the idiosyncrasies and appeal of tiny South Korean corner stores, which are increasingly facing closure.

On view throughout July at Gallery Imazoo in Gangnam, Me Kyeoung’s latest works are an ode to these disappearing locales. Enveloped by lush cherry blossoms or persimmon trees, the shops are well-stocked with dense shelves, crates of goods, and advertisements pasted in the windows. Bicycles, benches, and the occasional folding chair stand outside the entrances. Delicately rendered in pen and acrylic, the paintings depict architectural and organizational variances that make each spot unique, while honoring the cultural ubiquities of these spaces.

Me Kyeoung has a robust archive of the quaint shops, which you can find on Instagram.

 

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Dan Lams Radiant Otherworldly Sculptures Evoke Interstellar Phenomena in Cosmic Shake

“Waxing.” All images © Dan Lam, courtesy of Chefas Projects, shared with permission

Oozing over the edges of shelves and dolloping tendrils across flat surfaces, Dan Lam’s vibrant sculptures (previously) play with form and space. Using polyurethane foam, epoxy resin, and acrylic, the Dallas-based artist makes otherworldly sculptures that appear like alien substances from outer space, apropos to the pieces in her upcoming solo exhibition, Cosmic Shake. 

The artist created 52 new works for the show at Chefas Projects with galactic titles like “Dark Side,” “Waxing,” and “Stellar Wind” that glob and bubble in saturated color gradients and textures. She continues to play with new shapes, sizes, and patterns. “I have discovered that experimenting with scale has altered my approach to materials,” Lam tells Colossal. “This shift has presented new challenges to overcome, but it also leads to new opportunities. Recently, I have been exploring different textures and methods of paint application.”

Cosmic Shake is on view from July 7 through August 5 in Portland, Oregon. Lam has also installed her largest piece to date in the newest Meow Wolf location in Grapevine, Texas, which opens July 14. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

 

“Dark Side”

“Stellar Wind”

“Limb”

Left: “Zero.” Right: “Nova”

“Nebula”

“Synchronous Rotation”

“Absolute”

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Archaeologists Uncover a Fresco in Pompeii with a Cheesy Pizza-Like Dish Served on a Silver Platter

All images courtesy of Archeological Park of Pompeii

Pompeiians—they’re just like us! Hungry for pizza.

Earlier this year, archaeologists excavating a block of houses in Regio IX of the Vesuvian city uncovered a fresco that shows a round, doughy dish resembling the modern favorite. Researchers were quick to point out that pizza, as we know it today, hadn’t been invented when the 2,000-year-old painting was created, although the ancient civilization did enjoy foccacia, a cousin of the tomato and cheese-covered pie.

This dish appears topped with pomegranate, spices, and a cheesy pesto known as moretum. Served on a silver platter accompanied by dried fruit, yellow strawberries, and a chalice filled with wine, the focaccia likely represents a “gift of hospitality,” according to the Archeological Park of Pompeii. These offerings to guests emerged from the Hellenistic period and the Greek practice of Xenia, which also describes the genre of paintings depicting this tradition.

Approximately 300 frescoes of ancient food have been found around Pompeii, although this still life is particularly well executed. While the work offers insight into what the buried civilization ate, director Gabriel Zuchtriegel says it also has implications for how we understand the evolution of food and wealth, sharing:

I think about the contrast between a modest and simple meal that reminds us of a sphere that stands between the pastoral and the sacred on one side, and the luxury of the silver trays and the refinement of the artistic and literary representations on the opposite side. When considering this matter, how can we not think about pizza, also born as a ‘poor’ dish in southern Italy that has now conquered the world and is served in Michelin star restaurants.

This discovery comes three years after archaeologists in Pompeii uncovered an impeccably preserved snack shop that served up fish, fowl, and of course, plenty of wine.

 

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