Two years ago I received an email from my good friend, Lisa, with "You'll like these" as its subject, some photos of our trip to Cebu and Davao, and a link to Rhye's SoundCloud page. I saved the pictures and clicked on the link. Soon I was digging the exquisite mix of musical instruments, the ethereal ambience on each track, and the sensual vocals and dreamlike harmonies. I was surprised however, to discover that the lead singer of the mysterious duo was actually a man. While some guys can do a high-pitched falsetto it could have your ears quite confused, Rhye's Mike Milosh possesses a natural alto, and his smooth voice has drawn a number of comparisons to Sade and Tracey Thorn.
Using digital tools, Poshichi makes nihonga-style pictures of everyday life. These images can be anywhere from funny to calm, thoughtful, imaginative, or even a bit wild. It's a wonderful harmony: the past rendered perfectly in the present. Nihonga is basically Japanese painting that gets its look from using mineral pigments (and sometimes ink) on surfaces like silk or paper. The term was created back in the Meiji period (1868–1912) just so people could tell it apart from Yōga, which is what they called Western-style painting. Art was everywhere in Poshichi's childhood: the grandfather ran a framing shop, and the grandma was an art teacher. Poshichi loved to draw, and was destined for an art career. But, you know how it goes—life had other plans. Thankfully, a friend encouraged the Japanese artist not to quit drawing, even if just as a hobby. Though Poshichi initially created dark, gloomy pieces due to depression, adopting a cat two years ago changed everything. “I felt the nee...
Comments
Post a Comment