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

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.

 

An illustration of a small figure surrounded by fish.

“Fish Tank”

An illustration of a small figure surrounded by flowers.

“Chrysanthemum”

Two artworks by Felicia Chiao. The left shows a figure holding a seed with a plant sprouting out of their head. The right shows a figure looking up into the sky as their body disintegrates.

Left: “Growth.” Right: “Bloat”

An illustration of a small figure in an apartment with a sunny top and a dim bottom.

“Try”

An illustration of anthropomorphized flowers.

“Floral White”

An illustration of a figure surrounded by flowers, which grow out of their head.

“Geraniums”

An illustration of a small figure in an apartment with an anthropomorphized sun and moon.

“Handle With Care”

An illustration of expressive face on abstract, patterned bodies.

“Pattern Worms”

An illustration of a small figure surrounded by serpentine eyes.

“Seen”

An illustration of a small figure surrounded by water in an apartment under an anthropomorphized sun.

“Waiting”

An illustration of a small figure looking up at an anthropomorphized sun.

“Sun God”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In Ink and Watercolor Illustrations, Felicia Chiao Immerses Curious Characters in Surreal Scenarios appeared first on Colossal.

Israel’s protesters showcased in Drone photograph of the year

Israel’s protesters showcased in Drone photograph of the year

Israeli photographer Or Adar has won Photographer of the Year in the international Drone Photo Awards competition for his aerial image called Must Resist, capturing thousands of anti-judicial coup protesters on the streets of Tel Aviv.

The Drone Awards is an international aerial photography and video competition held annually with the express aim of showcasing photographic work that is separate to traditional photography.

To win the title, Adar’s image received the highest score from a panel of judges, amongst entries to nine different categories. Adar’s photograph, along with the category winners, will be exhibited in Siena, Italy throughout November.

The photograph captures just one of 24 weeks of protests against the Israeli government’s plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system, that proposes to transfer greater power to the government and away from the Supreme Court in both legislative decisions and judicial appointments.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been gathering in the streets each week on Saturday under banners that call for the protection of democracy in a desperate attempt to stop the proposed overhaul. The public power of the protests put a halt to the legislative efforts earlier this year, though recent moves suggest the coalition intends to unilaterally implement the changes.

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Reform Introduces Two Classic Kitchen Designs With Atelier Collection

Reform Introduces Two Classic Kitchen Designs With Atelier Collection

During 3daysofdesign, Reform released SHAKER and PLAIN to their classic kitchen collections alongside the introduction of an all-new artistic and personal dimension to the kitchen dubbed the Atelier Collection. Atelier Collection commissioned four creative talents to craft a new series of handles for its latest SHAKER and PLAIN designs.

These handles are constructed from four traditional materials – metal, wood, glass, and ceramics – each contributing a distinctive touch to an otherwise commonplace object. Alberte Tranberg, Maria Bruun, Nina Nørgaard, and Yukari Hotta expertly balance the tension between artisanal craftsmanship and industrial production, resulting in a product that is both personal and practical.

The SHAKER collection pays tribute to the craft traditions of the Shaker movement. Its key feature, an embossed frame, reflects the quiet design ethos of a typical Shaker kitchen. The collection revives these enduring qualities with a contemporary touch, making it an ideal choice for modern or traditional spaces. The SHAKER collection offers variations in painted, painted veneer, and natural oak finishes.

On the other hand, the PLAIN collection is an embodiment of minimalist design that pairs functionality with a modernist viewpoint. Its flat fronts compose a simple yet thoughtful kitchen design, with PLAIN’s various features inviting customization through mix and match. The collection is available in painted, painted veneer, natural oak, and dark oak finishes.

Maria Bruun Knob on SHAKER

PLAIN kitchen by reform using Alberte Tranberg Handle

Alberte Tranberg Handle

Yukari Hotta on SHAKER

Nina Nørgaard NN01 Glass Clear Pink

Reform's SHAKER with painted veneer in Stone

Reform's PLAIN kitchen with painted veneer

Reform's PLAIN kitchen with natural oak

Reform's SHAKER with painted veneer in White

Reform's SHAKER with Natural Oak

Reform's PLAIN kitchen with painted veneer

Leo Lei translates his passion for minimalism into his daily-updated blog Leibal. In addition, you can find uniquely designed minimalist objects and furniture at the Leibal Store.

Kriskadecor’s Feel Free System Allows Chain Structures To Stand on Their Own

Kriskadecor’s Feel Free System Allows Chain Structures To Stand on Their Own

We’ve shared with you the creativity that Kriskadecor can bring to design with its chain link structures before, but the brand’s latest innovation takes its capabilities further by eliminating structural needs – like walls and ceilings – altogether. Feel Free is a self-standing system designed by estudi{H}ac – JMFerrero that allows for chain structures to be installed nearly anywhere, allowing for their use in most projects and locations. It’s an ideal solution for carving out flexible spaces, thanks to customizable height, shape, and color. The addition of the minimal, one-piece system opens up a world of possibilities for chain compositions that match a creative vision. The customer chooses the color, and Kriskadecor makes it a reality, even reproducing logos and images in high definition with different finishes and colors.

With the Feel Free system, it’s possible to create airy, luminous multidisciplinary areas through light partitions that provide a sense of spaciousness. It’s an invitation to design new interior and exterior spaces – coworking areas, waiting rooms, terraces, gardens, and more – without the hard definition of walls or fences. Simple to install and easy to move, Feel Free evolves according to the project’s needs.

The core of Feel Free is an extendable vertical axis, featuring a base that has minimal visual impact while providing needed stability to the structure. It’s a subtle technical element that supports the new Quad rail, which can be arranged in straight or curved lines. An interchangeable top cap, designed to join the Quad rails together, allows for the creation of an entire system of unique spatial forms and modular compositions.

freestanding chain space divider surrounding an area enclosing a grey sofa and small coffee table

As for sustainability, the Feel Free system comprises a base and a steel mast that can be easily separated for recycling. Both the Quad and the chains are made of aluminum, a material that can be infinitely recycled without losing its original quality. In addition, Kriskadecor’s links include 20% recycled material, which contributes to reducing the brand’s carbon footprint.

black freestanding chain space divider surrounding a deck upon which sits an orange outdoor chair and side table

Kriskadecor offers a wide range of chain link structure applications overall: from monochrome surfaces to designs that include the reproduction of logos, images, and patterns. With each link acting as a pixel, and a wide palette of anodized colors in brilliant and satin finishes, the sky is the limit!

Meanwhile, the brand new Luxe Color Edition was created with the aim of allowing for complete customization. Its epoxy coating makes it possible to use all colors of the RAL and Pantone charts on the chains, while the quality of the process used provides a soft touch and durability, guaranteeing a unique finish.

Learn more about the Feel Free system and Kriskadecor’s capabilities at kriskadecor.com.

black freestanding chain space divider in the middle of an open office space

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

SLAM brings more contemporary Native American artwork to St. Louis this summer

SLAM brings more contemporary Native American artwork to St. Louis this summer

The Native American artwork familiar to many viewers tends to be traditional, historic creations. But a new exhibition at the St. Louis Art Museum brings a different focus — abstraction.

Called SLAM’s first exhibition of contemporary and modern Native American art, the paintings, sculptures and textiles highlight post-World War II creations that likely are less-known than the much-hyped work from the New York scene.



“Who Knows” (mid-20th century) by Christine Nofchissey McHorse, Navajo




“Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1940s-1970s” expands on SLAM’s 2008 exhibition on abstraction, says Alexander Brier Marr, associate curator of Native American art. It will “help visitors to see our historic collection of Native American art in new ways.”

The 80-plus-piece exhibition happens to complement other current exhibitions that highlight contemporary Native American pieces: the Luminary’s “Counterpublic” and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation’s “Faye HeavyShield: Confluences.” Using the next few weeks to see all three will be a valuable experience for St. Louis art lovers. In addition, HeavyShield’s work is at SLAM’s Donald Danforth Jr. Gallery 322.

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“This spring and summer, contemporary Native American art has been much more visible across St. Louis than any of the last seven years I’ve been here,” Marr says. He believes that St. Louis museums are responding to increasing national focus on contemporary Native works. Plus, he points out: “There is strong Indigenous history here.”

Yet, SLAM did not own a postwar Native painting until this year, when it purchased Fritz Scholder’s 1966 oil “New Mexico #45.” Filling that gap in the museum’s collection had been a priority, Marr says.

Other works by Scholder will be part of the exhibition organized by the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Artworks on display will include those by Lloyd Kiva New, Linda Lomahaftewa, Alfred Young Man, T.C. Cannon, Anita Fields, Christine Nofchissey McHorse and many others. The St. Louis museum adds a few dozen more works to the traveling exhibition.



“Untitled (Dark Landscape)” (ca. 1960) by John Hoover, Aleut




A difference between the abstract work of Native American artists and New York painters such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning is that the Native artists sometimes refer to their tribes’ ancestral forms, Marr says. The abstractions may include traditional colors, geometric shapes or symbolic images.

Abstraction offered Native artists a way to experiment and also to connect their art to emerging movements. One of the featured artists, George Morrison (Chippewa), worked in New York, where he exhibited and was associated with avant-garde painters there.



“New Mexico #40” (1966) by Fritz Scholder, American and Luiseño




Although he originally considered himself an abstract expressionist first, Morrison later started exploring his American Indian heritage. (Conversely, Pollock, who grew up in Arizona, is said to have been influenced by Native art he saw there while young; he also witnessed sand painting in 1941 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which is also believed to have been an influence.)

Marr expects that this new exhibition of Native American abstraction will surprise some visitors, while others may be more familiar with it. But even he was impressed by a Santa Fe show in 2008: “The depth of abstraction blew me away.”

What “Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1940s-1970s” • When June 23-Sept. 3; hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday (closed Monday) • Where St. Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park • How much $12, $10 for seniors and students, $6 for children 6-12; free for children 5 and under, for members and to all on Fridays • More info slam.org

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