Fantastic ‘Artystik’ by Arthi Srinivasan

It is amazing how artists can use artwork as a way of demonstrating a point or an issue that is close to their heart. Arthi Srinivasan is one such artist, who, at this point in time is involved in raising awareness on the education of children in rural India. Her current series, titled ‘Emancipation from Distress’ showcases the ploys of rural Indian woman to provide for her children.  The following painting showcases one such way that the rural Indian woman would want to do so, even if it means asking for milk – something a modern woman blessed with abundant life would be able to afford without even thinking of it.

Arthi’s style of painting is largely abstract figurative, is reminiscent of pop art with use of vibrant colors and bold brush strokes.

'Got Some Milk?' In Acrylic

‘Got Some Milk?’ In Acrylic

The series of paintings may, at first instance, feel rather depressing because according to Arthi, “It reminds as that somewhere along the way, the efforts of NGOs are wasted because they are concerned only with garnering the votes of the rural Indian population. Subsequently, the focal point of education for the rural Indian children is left on the wayside.”

"Educate Us." In Acrylic & Gouache

“Educate Us.” In Acrylic & Gouache

Arthi has used quotes from Mahatma Gandhi and Russian philosopher, Eli Khamorov, on the subject of education to help express her feelings and translate them onto the canvas as well as into Hindi and Tamil, her own native language.  “I want to  draw parallels to affluent children whose parents can afford basic education. There is nothing else different between these children except that money rules in favour of the latter and forces the former to live under impoverished conditions.”

"Working Mom." Acrylic with translations in Tamil

“Working Mom.” Acrylic with translations in Tamil

A bit about Arthi herself. She is a self-taught artist who has been inspired by various artists that represent different art genres such as Van Gogh, Modigliani, Raja Ravi Verma, Andy Warhol and Mark Rothko.  Her work has been showcased in group exhibitions in Dubai and Mumbai.

Join Artystik facebook page.

In the Mad Potters Laboratory

We recently visited Maria Pearson aka The Mad Potter in her private pottery studio.

Tucked away in the backyard of her Jumeirah Residence is The Mad Potter’s not-so-secret laboratory, equipped with her Potters Wheel, clay and an abundance of ceramic glazes.

For Maria, what began as a mindless hobby for stress relief quickly grew into a passion for clay. She has been working with clay for over 7 years now and is a regular at the ARTE Arts & Crafts Markets in Dubai.

While designing a piece, Maria always thinks about functionality… but ultimately she lets the clay tell her what it will be. She then adds some quirkiness through the colour choice of the glaze and texture finish to make each creation one of a kind.

The Mad Potter’s designs are as unique as their creator. Maria explained, “Over the years, I found my own voice and discovered that I preferred the utilitarian forms when combined with both the beauty of perfection and the element of imperfection. Living in a world of quickly reproduced identical forms, it’s the depth of character and inability to duplicate the organic imperfections that intrigue me. It is my goal to create spontaneous patterns and forms keeping that ingredient of uniqueness in every piece.”

We were especially surprised to learn the rather complicated yet fascinating glazing process behind her work. The glaze application is achieved by both brushing and dipping, and then fired in a kiln to over 2,000 degrees.

We were fascinated with her incredible selection of glazes and glaze chemicals. Much like cooking or chemistry, glazing pottery properly requires thorough knowledge of materials and technique, and Maria has spent years developing and perfecting her style. While her application of dynamic colours and glazes may seem like a reflection of her title i.e. The Mad Potter, in reality it is a laborious process involving, brushing, dipping and dripping.

To follow Maria’s personal journey, visit her website and facebook page.

She is a regular at the ARTE Markets in Times Square Center.

Daring to be a Superhero – Linzi Kan

There must have been a time in your life when you dreamt of being a superhero. Catwoman, Wonderwoman, Batman, James Bond, even Tintin and his dog Snowy. And who knows, some of us had wicked fascinations to be the bad guys – the Joker or Green Goblin.

Thanks to UK born Linzi Kan, superheros and supervillains come alive in this day and age.  Through her handcrafted line named ‘Gorgeoustuff‘ you can experience all the  ‘..man’ and ‘…woman’ super-stereotypes that you have ever come across in the comics world. This ARTE vendor has a degree in graphic design and has been a colourist in the film industry before she harnessed her inner feline strength to create funky cushions incorporating old graphics of comics.

So if you wish to have Thor-like strength…

… or be feline through and through, like the superhero gal below…

… or perhaps you like the vile Joker

… or debonair 007 James Bond, ‘Gorgeoustuff‘ is your one stop comic con shop at ARTE.

Linzi also has a fascination with skulls, which she thinks is cool (I am aware that many ARTE vendors love skulls, including myself).  Skulls remind me (Jan) of the ‘Ghost that Walks’ troupe – Phantom and his wife Diana, his pet wolf Devil and his faithful horse Hero. The Phantom reportedly wore a skull shaped ring, and with his mask on, he usually looked like a skull head.

Here are some of Linzi’s skull cushions.

The scary ones …

The super scary ones …

The in-love ones …

And the extra-cute ones!

Follow Gorgeoustuff on Facebook.

Photos supplied by Gorgeoustuff, with thanks.