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Photography

In ‘Dyal Thak,’ Photographer Kin Coedel Offers an Intimate Glimpse of Life on the Rapidly Changing Tibetan Plateau

March 15, 2023

Grace Ebert

A photo of a person and yak standing on the landscape, with a blue sky and faint moon in the background

All images © Kin Coedel, shared with permission

Nestled between the Himalayas and the Taklamakan Desert, the Tibetan Plateau is sometimes referred to as the “third pole.” The vast region harbors the largest source of fresh water outside the arctic and supplies 20 percent of the global population with the vital resource. Due to rising temperatures, though, these stores are under threat. The plateau is the fastest-warming region on the planet, and as the Himalayan glaciers melt and infrastructure projects crop up across the landscape, the people living in the area are forced to migrate.

Throughout five visits to the plateau in 2021, Kin Coedel created an intimate series of photographs that document the lives of several nomadic communities. Titled Dyal Thak, a Tibetan word that translates to “common thread,” the images depict people with profound ties to the land and animals, particularly the long-haired yak, a long-essential source of food, clothing, and economic production. The rapidly progressing effects of the climate crisis are changing agricultural patterns and thus the natural cycles that have been part of life for centuries.

 

A photo of a woman with long braids twirling in the air

Coedel spent three months living in Ritoma Village, a small nomadic agricultural community with a rich textile and weaving history, where he established important relationships with the atelier Norlha. Opened in 2007, the studio boasts a robust ecosystem of women-led artisanal work, much of which focuses on traditional systems and sustainability.

Demonstrating a mutual trust between photographer and subject, many of Coedel’s images show caretakers on the grassland with the animals, alongside the women who lead the fiber production. “At first, the photos were more documentary, and as we got to know each other, and they trusted me, the pictures became a collaborative back and forth,” he told WePresent. “Working with people who trust you and will chase an idea with you is so fun—we made this project together.”

 

Two photos, on the left, the back of a person covered in round cupping marks, and on the right, a man in a field with a cow

The series is also part of Coedel’s broader effort to present a more faithful view of eastern cultures that have largely been defined by western viewpoints. He shares in a note to Colossal:

The truth is, Tibet is a place far from most people’s understanding. Western media only talks about this region when it pops up on political news, or when celebrities express their support, most of the time to associate themselves with certain agendas and appeal. But Tibetans’ everyday lives are so much more than that. In fact, all the narratives the western media present have little to do with their daily realities. Politics is always an undercurrent when it comes to photographing people and culture, but I want to present a vision beyond that, finding all the beauty and magic in small moments, everyday living.

Currently based in Paris, Coedel travels frequently and is planning to visit rural communities across China in the coming months. He was recently named a finalist in the annual Hyères competition, which will exhibit his work in a group show this October. You can find more of his work on his site and Instagram.

 

A phoot of several people in red holding lanterns

A portrait of a child with textiles strapped to their head

Two photo portraits of a woman and a child

A photo of figure twirling with a white scarf trailing behind them

Two photos, on the left, a person peeking through a hole in a blue textile piece, and on the right, a woman holding a string in her fingers

A photo of two women holding blankets and smiling against a snowy landscape

 

 

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Art

Yellow Halos Laud People of the African Diaspora in Akindele John’s Vibrant Portraits

March 12, 2023

Grace Ebert

A vibrant painted portrait of two women with a yellow halo encircling their faces

All images © Akindele John, shared with permission

Nigerian artist Akindele John harbors a profound respect for people of the African Diaspora, which he exemplifies in his vivid, celebratory portraiture. Working in oil on canvas, the artist centers on figures who offer insight into diasporic lineages, as he intertwines historic elements with that of the present day. “My subjects are based on African old ways,” he tells Colossal. “They are real people that tell a story about the African diaspora.”

Often overlaid with ornate botanical motifs or embedded with patterns, the portraits are vibrant and regal and tend to portray figures in moments of contemplation. Yellow halos encircle their faces, elevating each to a position of spiritual wisdom and regard. John shares that he’s drawn to the contrasts within compositions and contemporary interpretations of chiaroscuro, particularly the work of photographer Maria Presser.

The artist is represented by Genre: Urban Arts and frequently shares glimpses into his process and studio on Instagram.

 

A vibrant painted portrait of a lounging woman with a yellow halo encircling her face

A vibrant painted portrait of a woman with a yellow halo encircling her face

On left, a vibrant painted portrait of a shirtless man with a yellow halo encircling his face, on right, A vibrant painted portrait of two woman holding candles with halos encircling their faces

A vibrant painted portrait of a man with a yellow halo encircling his face

Two vibrant painted portraits of a woman with a yellow halo encircling her face

A vibrant painted portrait of a man with a yellow halo encircling his face

 

 



Art

Giana De Dier Introduces Anonymous Women of the African Diaspora in Bold Collaged Portraits

March 10, 2023

Kate Mothes

A collaged portrait of a woman incorporating black-and-white photography, vibrant African fabric, and denim.

From the series ‘Particularidades de una tierra prometida’ (2023), mixed media collage on MDF board, 100 x 70 centimeters. All images © Giana De Dier, shared with permission

The mystique of anonymity is a powerful presence, exemplified by a common fascination with family albums and historical archives in which we try to recognize unknown faces. Who were they? What are their stories? In bold, mixed-media portraits, Panama City-based artist Giana De Dier is driven by the enigmatic quality of early photographs centering on women of the African Diaspora. Her subjects are often portrayed wearing patterned fabrics, large earrings, and elaborately plaited hairstyles, situated in front of photographed landscapes or domestic interiors that incorporate African masks and decor and tropical plants.

When she first began to make collages, De Dier culled imagery from glossy magazines like Vogue and Elle, incorporating materials and textures from clothing and textiles. Her recent work looks further back in time, drawing inspiration primarily from depictions of women in the 19th and 20th centuries. “I’m interested in who the person photographed was, why they were photographed, and who took the photo,” she says, sharing that even when she comes across a newer image she likes, she manipulates it to make it appear as if it’s from the past. “My intention when using these images is to create new meaning and stories and find ways to connect these with my own.”

De Dier’s collages depict individuals seated in a traditional portrait posture or interacting and conversing with one another in interior settings. The relaxed atmosphere offers a counterpoint to a legacy of those who migrated to Panama in the early 1900s to build the Panama Canal. De Dier examines the “struggle, failed expectations, and heritage of a displaced people” that are informed by interviews and collected stories, remembering a period of grueling labor and challenging living conditions in the segregated Canal Zone.

Combining paper, woven African fabrics, and swatches of denim cut from jeans to make dresses, cloaks, furnishings, and architectural details, De Dier highlights “racial, religious, and language disparities within Panamanian society and culture” while emphasizing individuals’ powerful presences and contributions to the fabric of daily life, both literally and metaphorically. “Denim has always been present in some way,” she says. “It’s also one of the most worn textiles in Panama—where I was born and currently live—even with our warm and humid weather. Denim, to me, is connected with labor and serves as a way of placing these people and events from the past in a context that’s current.”

Find more of De Dier’s work on her website, and follow updates on Instagram.

 

A paper collage of three women incorporating black-and-white photography and imagery of African masks and tropical plants.

“Conversaciones no. 2” (2023), collage on Fabriano watercolor paper, 50 x 50 centimeters

Two collaged portraits of women incorporating black-and-white photography, vibrant African fabric, and denim.

Left and right: From the series ‘Particularidades de una tierra prometida’ (2023), mixed media collage on MDF board, 100 x 70 centimeters

A paper collage of two women incorporating black-and-white photography and imagery of African masks and tropical plants.

“Conversaciones no. 1” (2023), collage on Fabriano watercolor paper, 50 x 50 centimeters

A paper collage of two women incorporating black-and-white photography and imagery of tropical plants, hard-wood floors, and family photographs on the wall.

“Conversaciones no. 5” (2023), collage on Fabriano watercolor paper, 100 x 70 centimeters each

A paper collage of three women incorporating black-and-white photography and imagery of African masks and tropical plants.

“No existe la verdad absoluta (There is no absolute truth)” (2022), collage on Fabriano watercolor paper, 50 x 50 centimeters

A collaged portrait of a woman incorporating black-and-white photography, vibrant African fabric, and denim.

From the series ‘Particularidades de una tierra prometida’ (2023), mixed media collage on MDF board, 100 x 70 centimeters

A paper collage of two women incorporating black-and-white photography and imagery of food on a table, furnishings, and photographs on the wall.

“Reconectar” (2022), mixed media collage on Fabriano watercolor paper, 70 x 75 centimeters

A paper collage of a woman seated with her back to the viewer, holding a fan, and looking at a wall with African masks.

“Un día a la vez (One day at a time)” (2023), collage on Fabriano watercolor paper, 60 x 80 centimeters

 

 



Art

Architectural Silhouettes Play With Perspective in Patrick Akpojotor’s Fragmented Portraits

February 21, 2023

Kate Mothes

An abstract painting of a geometric silhouette with architectural details.

“The Gaze” (2021), acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inches. All images © Patrick Akpojotor, shared with permission

Combining a love for African masks and the people and buildings of his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria, Patrick Akpojotor (previously) merges the figurative details of faces, shoulders, and arms with the geometric forms of hallways, doors, and staircases. “My surface becomes a playground where forms, colours, perspective, and space comes to play and interact,” he says in a statement. “The use of geometry and architectural elements highlight the influence of the built environment in shaping our memories, experiences, and identities in the world.”

Akpojotor draws on the art historical legacies of Cubist painters who devised a way of breaking up the picture plane into “cubes” or fragments to show multiple sides of an object or figure at the same time. His compositions utilize skewed perspectives, contrast, and color to explore the dynamic relationship between internal and external human experiences, paralleling the interiors and exteriors of architectural spaces and the transformative ways we move between them. He has recently experimented with sculpture, producing steel forms of abstracted arches and steps.

Akpojotor is currently preparing work for a solo exhibition at Allouche Gallery in September. Find more of his work on his website and Instagram.

 

An abstract painting of a geometric silhouette with architectural details.

“Oga boss” (2020), acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

An abstract painting of a geometric silhouette with architectural details and an abstract steel sculpture evocative of an architectural element.

Left: “Gaze to The Beautiful Sunlight (i)” (2022), acrylic on canvas, 195.5 x 152.5 centimeters. Right: “Terracotta wall” (2022), Autobase coated steel, 51 x2 3.5 x 19 centimeters

An abstract painting of a geometric silhouette with architectural details.

“Within Time and Space in History (ii)” (2022), acrylic on canvas, 195.5 x 152.5 centimeters

An abstract painting of a geometric silhouette with architectural details.

“GIRL WITH RED RIBBON V (Reproduced)” (2022)

An abstract painting of a geometric silhouette with architectural details and an abstract steel sculpture evocative of an architectural element.

Left: “Meeting Point” (2022), Autobase coated steel, 40 x 46 x 25 centimeters. Right: “Step to The Infinite (iii)” (2022), acrylic on canvas, 122 x 91 centimeters

An abstract painting of a geometric silhouette with architectural details.

“Man of Influence III” (2022), acrylic on canvas, 77 x 60 inches

An abstract painting of a geometric silhouette with architectural details.

“Witness to the Times II” (2021), acrylic on canvas, 122 x 91.5 centimeters 

 

 



Art Craft

Bisa Butler’s Vibrant Quilted Portraits Share Extraordinary Stories of Black Americans

February 20, 2023

Kate Mothes

A colorful quilted portrait by Bisa Butler.

Detail of “If I Ruled The World, Imagine That #2” (2022), cotton, silk, wool, metallic brocade, and velvet, quilted and appliquéd, 102 x 51 inches. All images © Bisa Butler, shared with permission

“I find myself drawn to photographs that remind me of my grandmother’s photo albums, of aunts and uncles, cousins, and ancestors that I’ve never known,” says Bisa Butler (previously), who stitches swatches of vibrant fabrics into striking, life-size portraits of Black figures. At the core of her practice is a recognition of individuals’ accomplishments throughout history, often those of regular people who were extraordinarily courageous in the face of immense adversity. With two large-scale works currently on view in Washington, D.C. and a solo exhibition at the Gordon Parks Foundation in Pleasantville, New York, the artist is developing several new ideas, themes, and directions.

Butler often sources photographs from historic archives, such as an iconic portrait of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery and rescued approximately 70 enslaved people through the Underground Railroad. The artist’s portrait of Tubman is powerfully titled “The General,” infused with bold patterns and patchwork. Another piece, “Colored Entrance,” is based on Gordon Parks’s iconic photograph titled “Department Store.” Taken in racially segregated Mobile, Alabama, in 1956, the image portrays a mother and daughter standing beneath a neon sign that denotes a separate entrance they are permitted to use.

Increasingly, Butler collaborates with living photographers and artists. Spurred by a desire for connection during pandemic lockdowns, she approached Janette Beckman, whose photographs of 1980s hip-hop stars like Run DMC and Salt-N-Pepa documented the era and graced genre-defining album covers. “My husband, John, who is a hip-hop DJ and producer, shared a photograph of Salt-N-Pepa, and when I saw who did it, I thought, let me be brave,” Butler says. “I sent [Beckman] a message, and I asked her if she would be willing to let me make a quilt based off of her photograph. She was so lovely. She agreed. She even visited me and my husband in our studio, which we share, and she took our photo as well!”

 

A colorful quilted portrait of Salt-N-Pepa by Bisa Butler.

“Hot, Cool, and Vicious” (2022), Dutch wax fabric, vinyl, wool, glitter, velvet, and screen printed cotton, quilted and appliquéd, 8 x 10 feet. Photo by Gregory Pallante

Working in close proximity to her husband has strongly influenced the artist’s practice. While she was creating the Salt-N-Pepa portrait, he made a compilation they call the “Goddess Mixtape,” featuring Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Rapsody, Queen Latifah, Cardi B, and others. Those songs surfaced memories and helped to define the message of her works. “If you listen to the ‘Goddess Mixtape,’ and then you see my quilt of Salt-N-Pepa, you’ll see something about me, something about the 1980s, something about young Black Americans, and something about the expression of women—what it is that we want and what it is that we need,” she says.

“Hot, Cold, and Vicious” portrays Salt-N-Pepa’s era-defining bomber jackets, boots, and bodysuits in bold, African wax fabric, also known as Dutch wax. Combined with vinyl, glitter, and velvet, details like bamboo-shaped “door-knocker” hoop earrings, boomboxes, and LP records were screen-printed onto cotton swatches in collaboration with Butler’s studio neighbor, artist Gary Lichtenstein. “I must have at least forty, maybe fifty bins of fabric, but there are still things that I just don’t have,” she says. “I like Nigerian wax fabric and Nigerian batik or tie-dye fabrics. I also like using Ghanaian kente fabric, and I like Swiss lace—a lot of Nigerian brides use Swiss lace.”

From start to finish, a piece can take about four to six weeks to complete, beginning with loose sketches in Sharpie marker on top of a printout of a photograph and culminating in quilts that include appliquéd details. “When I’m creating quilts, I think about what the personality is of the person who I’m trying to portray,” she says.

Do I want to portray somebody who is contemporary or somebody from the past? Do I want to say that this person is strong and bold and powerful? I might use bright, intense colors: bright red, bright fuschia, bright orange, or even an electric green. If I’m trying to say that this person is more laid-back, more calm, more cool, I’m going to use actual cool colors, like cool water and deep blues.

 

A colorful quilted portrait of the Harlem Hellfighters by Bisa Butler.

“Don’t Tread On Me, God Damn, Let’s Go!—The Harlem Hellfighters” (2021), cotton, silk, wool, and velvet, quilted and appliquéd, 10 x 13 feet. Photo by Lee Stalsworth

In her monumental tribute to African American soldiers who fought in World War I, “Don’t Tread On Me, God Damn, Let’s Go!—The Harlem Hellfighters” consists of nine figures detailed in blues, pinks, and reds on a monochrome backdrop of green florals. The 369th Infantry Regiment consisted mainly of African Americans and also included men from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Guyana, among other places. “When they went over to Europe, the white American soldiers refused to fight alongside Black men,” Butler says. “They had been so miseducated—lied to—and had the wool pulled over their eyes to believe that African Americans didn’t have the intellectual capacity to fight as men because they were not full men, some sort of ‘sub-men.'” They were often assigned menial tasks in the U.S. Army, which, like the rest of the country, was segregated.

When the French Army needed support, the U.S. Army lent them the 369th, which ultimately spent more time in the front-line trenches and suffered more casualties than any other American unit. Legend has it that the Germans called them the Höllenkämpfer or “Hellfighters” for their tenacity and resilience on the battlefield, and the name stuck. “They went over; they wanted to help win that war. And they wanted the respect as men,” Butler says. The scale of her quilt puts the soldiers at nearly life-size, and they meet the viewer’s gaze directly, evoking a sense of familiarity and connection with each individual.

Butler’s solo exhibition Materfamilias at the Gordon Parks Foundation Gallery runs through April 14, and her quilts are also included in This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World at the Smithsonian American Art Museum through April 2, and Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. at the National Museum of African American History and Culture through April 1. She will present a solo show with Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in New York City this May and is currently preparing for a large-scale solo exhibition in Washington, D.C., in 2025. Find more on the artist’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.

 

A detail of colorful quilted portrait by Bisa Butler.

Detail of “Don’t Tread On Me, God Damn, Let’s Go!—The Harlem Hellfighters.” Photo by Lee Stalsworth

A colorful quilted portrait by Bisa Butler.

Detail of “The Warmth of Other Sons” (2020), cotton, silk, wool, and velvet, quilted and appliquéd, 11 x 9 feet

“Forever” (2020), cotton, silk, wool, and quilted and appliquéd velvet. Photo courtesy of LACMA

A colorful quilted portrait of Harriet Tubman by Bisa Butler.

“The General (Portrait of Harriet Tubman)” (2022), cotton, silk, wool, and velvet, quilted and appliquéd, 90 x 60 inches

A colorful quilted portrait based on a photograph by Gordon Parks, by Bisa Butler.

Installation view of “Colored Entrance (after Department Store, 1956, by Gordon Parks)” (2023), cotton, silk, wool, and velvet, quilted and appliquéd, 120 x 60 inches

A colorful quilted portrait by Bisa Butler.

Detail of “If I Ruled The World, Imagine That” (2022), cotton, silk, wool, metallic brocade, and velvet, quilted and appliquéd, 102 x 51 inches

A colorful quilted portrait by Bisa Butler.

“I, Too” (2019)

 

 



Art Illustration

Vintage Ephemera Backdrops Mark Powell’s Intimate Ballpoint Pen Drawings

February 13, 2023

Grace Ebert

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of a bird on postcards

All images © Mark Powell, shared with permission

From playing cards and posters to envelopes and postcards scrawled with notes, the untraditional canvases holding Mark Powell’s artworks are tapestries of memories and experiences past. The Brighton-based artist (previously) sutures scraps of vintage ephemera and draws in ballpoint pen, rendering intimate portraits, birds, and scenes brimming with emotion in realistic detail. Some of his most recent works include monochromatic etchings that capture a heron’s fine, wispy feathers and a diptych of hands, two softly grasping a tulip and another wrapped taught in a rope.

Powell shares glimpses into his process and studio on Instagram, and you can find originals and prints in his shop.

 

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of hands on a typewriter on postcards

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of a bird on postcards

A photo of a ballpoint pen portriat on playing cards

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of two elephants on envelopes

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of a bird on postcards

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of two hands with a tulip and a hand with rope on postcards

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of hands on a typewriter on postcards

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of a bird on a poster

A photo of a ballpoint pen drawing of a bird on postcards