The Rainbow Village of Taiwan

My wife's cousin is going to Taiwan on Monday and I told her to check out this cool tiny settlement in Taichung. It's called Rainbow Village, a community built for retired soldiers after World War II, but has become a distinctive tourist attraction, thanks to the transformation brought about by Huang Yung-fu's vibrant murals.

The streets and the walls of practically every house in this neighborhood are covered with paintings of colorful figures, from birds and animals to celebrities and cultural minorities. Considering the fact that Huang, who is now 93 years old, began painting only five years ago, his work is pretty impressive.

AFP's Laura Mannering has written an interesting piece about the enthusiastic war veteran:

"The settlement in the Nantun district of Taichung City once comprised 1,200 homes for veterans and their families.

But as the decades-old accommodation became run-down, developers snapped up the land and residents were offered Tw$2 million ($61,000) compensation or new housing.

Huang has lived there for 37 years, staying even after his neighbours abandoned their homes and only 11 houses remained.

That's when he decided to paint."

Read the full story here.

Comments

When chocolate meets art

I heard it's National Chocolate Day, so I thought I'd share this video about Orlando's newest and sweetest attraction.

Hand-Painted Bags That Tell Your Story

Most bags today look like they were produced by bored machines in a dimly lit factory. You can walk into any mall and find rows of identical leather (or “leather-like”) things, all claiming to express individuality. Ironically, though, they all look exactly the same. Then there’s Abby Verano . Her bags are not mere accessories; they’re declarations. Each one is hand-painted, touched by an actual human being with an imagination. Abby doesn’t just sell you something to put your wallet and smartphone in; she sells you a story, a vision, a little revolt against the tyranny of sameness. Her tools are simple — brushes, acrylic paint, bags made from pandan leaves, and creativity. No duplicates. No clones. Just one-of-a-kind art pieces you can carry.

'The Immigrant' by Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy is a master when it comes to optical illusion. His most recent work, The Immigrant , is a three-dimensional composition made of 2,300 black wooden spheres suspended with translucent fibers. When you view the sculpture from the right angle, the seemingly chaotic array of objects suddenly aligns to form an image of Michael's partner Natasha Vladimirova. The imagery was inspired by the contributions immigrants make in enriching the society and economy. Natasha is an immigrant and it is with her help that the artwork was made possible. Michael studied sculpture at Kent State University and received his masters degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Brooklyn-based artist became famous when he created the first fine art portraits of Barack Obama during his 2007 presidential campaign. His work has been featured in various publications and websites and can be seen in numerous permanent installations around the globe.

finding cain

Search This Blog