Design exhibition - Singapore

Groovisions @ Japan Creative Centre, 4 Nassim Rd, Singapore. 30th Mar to 30 Apr

Art and design exhibitions - Singapore

I have yet to check this exhibition out (but will do so look out for the comments!) but the location looks very charming! http://www.oldschool.sg/

kyoto temple

kyoto temple, originally uploaded by maxtal75.

How striking is this corridor in a Kyoto Temple. bright orange against the raw wood. The calligraphy of scriptures and dates adds to the mystic of the corridor to me.

Hot Chip - Colors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cTtjBXzyB8

Nothing to do with Asia but a cool video by Hot chip called Colors. Notice the difference if our eyes were to be of a different color! Hope you guys will like it!

S A D H U. Dwarka

S A D H U. Dwarka, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

This is my current favourite photograph by Claude Renault. Beautiful lighting n colors.

P I N K. Pushkar

P I N K. Pushkar, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

Sensory overload of colors! Lets not stop....

H O M E. Jodhpur

H O M E. Jodhpur, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

Need I say more... I really like the cute childlike color palette in contrast with the old man in white. It somehow gives her a childlike glow to me.

Color of Asia

Color of Asia, originally uploaded by Matzepeng.

A gorgeous orange series by Matzepeng on Flickr. I just love the subtle halo around the young monk in Laos. Shades of divinity.

Graffiti of the Celeste Dance Performance

I saw a modern dance performance recently called the Graffiti of the Celeste. Its a non profit dance troupe called Arts Fission and it was held at the Singapore Esplanade. Its a very interesting modern dance piece with renown indonesian vocalist in the background. Haunting, beautiful and thought provoking, it shows avant garde movement have finally reached its place in this part of the world. Its heart warming to see Singapore becoming so much more cultural and experimental in the arts. Hopefully, this trend will persist with time and people will start looking at these small projects more than simply another big blockbuster.

Asian Fashion Summit - Singapore

The 2010 Asian Fashion Summit, hosted by WGSN, will be held this year in Singapore Four Seasons Hotel. An event not to be missed as topics will cover global fashion trends, 10 global issues that drive design, buying and retail trends in 2010 and color and the global stage panel debate. check out www.asiafashionsummit.com for more information

The Day of Silence- Bali

16th March Tuesday - Today is the Balinese Hindus New Year Eve, known locally as Nyepi (from the word sepi - silent), the Day of SIlence. Instead of lavish parties, Balinese celebrate the coming New Year with meditation, quiet introspection and spiritual cleansing. The day of silence, no fires, no vehicles, no lights (only candles) and no noise. The day before Nyedi, Ogoh Ogoh (huge representatives of evil spirits) are paraded and it is an explosion of colors, noise, music and flames. After which Nyepi day restores the cosmic balance disrupted by man's greed in exploiting the earth. How wonderful.

Streets of Beijing

I took this pictures in Beijing's Sanlitun street in front of a shopping mall called 3.3. I remember thinking how much the youths of China are embracing global cultures and how fast it has infiltrated China. It is also interesting to see so many nationalities mixing so well together through common interests. The acceptance of foreigners in Beijing and the embrace of foreign cultures noted.

China_Shanghai

i've asked my mates to take picts of asia as they travelled. and this is a photo of shanghai highway when u arrive. such optimism and grandeur.

Chinese poetry

I met with a friend last night and talked about our interest in Chinese philosophies.. and how ignorant we are today about it. So I decided to venture more into the mysterious world of chinese philosophy. Here's one I found today that spoke to me. 9th century Chinese zen master.

Long seeking it through others,
I was far from reaching it.
Now I go by myself;
I meet it everywhere.
It is just I myself,
And I am not itself.
Understanding this way,
I can be as I am.

- Tung-Shan (806-869)

Say no to copycats

This is taken at the Singapore Furniture Fair exhibition halls today. Check out the exhibition stand designs.. it is literally forbidding. The hostility I met with the last couple of days trying to take pictures due to the fact that all the exhibitors are afraid of copycats in asia. Stealing styles, ideas, copying them shamelessly has taken to new heights here. Is originality dead here?

Under the ground

Once in a blue moon, I find something underground in asia at the risk of another yuppy pickup joint. The idea of anything underground seems unfortunately tagged with the label 'BAD'. One has to be very proper and 'good' around some of the strict asian cultures. Thankfully there is hope! (see above) In the city of arts, culture, history. Beijing. Very cool. Finally.

Mongolian eyes

It has been a well known trend in Asia to change small Chinese/Mongolian eyes with single eyelids into 'deep set' eyes with double eyelids. The procedure of cutting a double eyelid or sticking small tapes on the eyelid just to create a double eyelid.
I recently saw a wonderful movie called Mongol. In Mongolia, small eyes are preferred as they believe evil spirits enter through your eyes. The less you see, the less evil enters. Simply wonderful. I have personally loved the sexy single eyelid of a chinese eye and I hope someday it will be ok to just keep things simple.

Colors and textures around us - Hong Kong

This is used to put out fires in the hiking trail. red for danger.

Colors and textures around us - Hong Kong

A line of pink cable - Hong Kong

Colors and textures around us - Hong Kong

Colors and textures around us - Hong Kong

The copper rust and the muted yellow buttons work beautifully together.

Colors and textures around us - Hong Kong

The colors and textures around us

As we are busy embracing the newest and the latest in Asia, I found that a sort of sad neglect is taking place towards our immediate surroundings. So I started noticing little forsaken objects taken mostly in Hong Kong for their beautiful colors and textures. I hope others will see the same beauty and colors as I did when I took these photos.

Naoto Fukasawa-Tile light

Naoto Fukasawa

I attended a speech given by Naoto Fukasawa at the Singapore Furniture Fair yesterday and was very impressed by his design philosophy. The idea of super normal objects that are just enough. Not redesigning and simply subconsciously allowing the environment or how things are essentially used to dictate design. The importance to begin with a philosophy of thinking/design and believing in it is emphasized once again. Its not about styling or simply creating for the sake of it. The above lighting by him is such a good example. Perhaps when we are living in the world of excess, we can relook at our lives and consume intelligently. Not design for the sake of designing, or consuming because we can afford to.