For the past ten years, Moffat Takadiwa has collected discarded computer keyboards, toothbrushes, pens, and bottle caps among numerous other objects. He conceives of sweeping, abstract forms that from a distance emphasize curving, organic forms and pops of color. Up close, the pieces reveal deconstructed, everyday items bound into expansive tapestries. Based in Mbare, a…
Why do some people have no problem keeping a clean home 24/7, while others can’t even keep the laundry done when all other things (like work) are equal? While you might think the first group enjoys cleaning, the answer often lies in habit. People with always-clean homes don’t necessarily spend any more time on upkeep…
Rodrigo Oñate, a.k.a. Roco, marries the visual languages of graffiti, comics, and pop culture in his energetic paintings. Splitting his time between Chicago and Querétaro, Mexico, the artist works on walls and canvases, mish-mashing a flurry of characters along with simple patterns, squiggles, and the occasional surreal detail, like a gloved hand embedded with an…
In 1929, sought-after New York fashion model Lee Miller moved to Paris to apprentice with surrealist photographer Man Ray, joining an influential circle of artists. She and Ray worked so closely together, in fact, that many of her photos have been erroneously attributed to him. Like many women, Miller’s work was often overshadowed by her…
From thousands of plastic bags, nets, and hanks of yarn, Indonesian artist Mulyana (previously) illuminates the fragility of marine ecosystems. In his solo exhibition Remembering Our Collective Future at Sapar Contemporary, the artist has incorporated recyclable materials and distilled the palette to white, evoking a symbol of purity and drawing attention to the consequences of…
One could argue that every great painting produces two works of art: the canvas and the surface where the pigments are mixed. The Artist’s Palette, forthcoming from Princeton University Press on November 5, dives deep into a timeless studio tool, exploring the beauty of the process. Compiled by art historian and writer Alexandra Loske, the…
The pantry is an excellent place to store kitchen staples, but there are bound to be some that spoil faster than you think or should never have been there in the first place. A pantry is a difficult space to keep organized. If your kitchen pantry is like most people’s, it becomes a catch-all for…
A trio of small pottery shards, two painted on linen and one terracotta, nest inside a walnut frame for Dabin Ahn’s “Circle of Life.” Displayed on brass dowels, these fragments depict various stages of vitality, whether a faintly speckled butterfly or a candle snuffed out, leaving a thin wisp of smoke trailing onto the canvas….
Delicately peeled skin and supple folds appear where we’d least expect them in José Manuel Castro López’s stone sculptures (previously). From small boulders of granite and quartz found near his home in A Coruña, Spain, the artist carves and polishes delicate wrinkles that suggest fabric or the malleability of smashed, wet clay. For example, “Recorte…
Backsplash designs are the natural focal point in kitchens and bathrooms and, as such, can have a significant impact on a room’s aesthetics. Homeowners frequently use the backsplash to add a touch of style and class by incorporating unique or colorful elements. Unfortunately, these elements can quickly become outdated and do not complement the overall…