Color is a vital part of interior design but also the first feeling after people enter the space. Therefore, as a designer, it becomes a necessary ability to choose and match colors in interior design.

Color schemes are based on science, not feeling. Many of you in doing color matching for interior design and do not know why it should be matched like that, and just by your own feeling or copy from the website. It turns out to be indescribable for the result of the visual effect.

Therefore, to help you solve this problem, we will share 5 popular color matching in interior design.

ONE. Memphis Color Scheme

Why do we call Memphis color so advanced? The secret lies in using bright, lively, high contrast hues. The personality in overall color tone is more evident after using a variety of complex, colorful surface patterns.

TWO. Macaron Color Scheme

As a dessert, the color of macaron can make us feel sweet, clean and dreamy. It also can be used in interior design to create a warm, girly, and fresh vibe.

THREE. Mondrian's Color Scheme

The space is dominated by the highly saturated red, which has a relatively wide area and more vivid color, while the other colors with a little blue, yellow and white.

FOUR. Morandi Color Scheme

Morandi color is a low saturation color series, not as bright as other colors, as if covered with a layer of gray. But "gray" is not a simple color but the representative of a group of colors, so it will always be called "advanced gray".

FIVE. Traditional Chinese Style Color Scheme

Speaking of color, Chinese people tend to have deep implicit feelings and vigorous waiting for release, not directly expressing the sense, but combining emotion with the scenery. The expression "depict three points, leave seven points" is Oriental unique amorous feelings.

Deep Black Color

It vividly conveyed Chinese architecture's exquisite tenon and mortise and restored the simple, quiet and neat beauty.

Color card: Bright white/Storm grey/Pure black/Honey

Chinese Red

Highlight cultural deposits have always been a good way for the Chinese style to output the world's most advanced taste performance with national characteristics. French romance adds more delicate elegance to Chinese red.

Color card: China red/Serenity blue/Victoria blue/Beige/Light turquoise

Songbird Green

Color card: Dusk blue/Treetop green/Kelly green/Bluebird/Wheat

Coral

Bright and dynamic Hermes orange, gathering new Chinese style can also deduce the gorgeous color of Chinese style.

Color card: Hermes Orange/Sunshine/Delft blue/Sable/Pure black

MACLURA AURANTICA

The fashion collision between senior grey and imperial yellow makes the new Chinese style modern and full of western-style publicity and individuality.

Color card: Bright white/Imperial yellow/Gold/Tortoiseshell/Phantom black

The above are 5 popular color schemes for interior design. If you have any questions about color matching and art recommendations for home, feel free to contact SOA Arts, and we will help you!

Image via mansionglobal.com

“Your home should make you feel like the most eccentric, glamorous version of yourself”, Jonathan Adler says. This interior designer has an interesting philosophy with creativity in the home. Adler is an American potter, author, and of course, interior decorator out of New York. After opening a pottery store in SoHo back in 2003, Adler went on to symbolize modern interior design.

Jonathan Adler hardly follows rules when it comes to interior design. He believes in fresh, yet chaotic projects that represent modern design. He uses the freedom that we have in America to express how he feels about his creations. Even his corporate office is glowing with freedom and creativity. It’s bright and sprinkled with his own items, including pottery and ceramics. As unorthodox as it sounds, employees are allowed to bring their pets if they wish!

If you’re looking for a way to add more personality and boldness to your home, Jonathan Adler may provide some inspiration. Here’s how you can craft your interior design the way Adler would do it!

Personality in Interior Design

Adler’s work has a light and cheerful tone.

Image via wwd.com

One of the core themes with the interior design style of Adler is really making it a personal space. By traveling the world and seeking inspiration, he learned that it’s beneficial to create your own style. For instance, he found one of the best craftsmen in the world, a person who works with beads. After seeing the dimensions that beads alone add, he collaborated with him and sprinkled in his own personal touch with his artwork.

Making your space personable is about finding your eccentric side and being bold with what you truly want. Whether it’s colors, objects, or unusual shapes, make your own rules where other people follow the trends.

Layers in Interior Design

Pieces from the collection can be used for many purposes.

Image via wwd.com

Based on his pottery background, Adler knows how to bring even the simplest design elements to life. Starting with just clay, he turned his creations into world-class works of art. He reaches peak creativity by layering as much as possible. When it comes to layering your home, start with your base color. Don’t be afraid to use something other than just white. Any color works great from the start. However, if you have a plain color, consider using patterns on your walls and floors to really spice up your interior.

You can bring depth into rooms by mixing patterns with related colors, while your base color ties the place together. When you decorate walls, add some intriguing artwork. Even mismatched frames create loads of character with your layers. Finally, use similar colors with rugs, curtains, and cushions. These extra layers create a combination of colors that play off your base color.

Not Being Afraid to Take Risk

His upbeat design aesthetic lifted spirits during the pandemic.

Image via wwd.com

Adler believes that, “not everything in your home needs to function.” What does this mean exactly? Whether you place objects in your room that isn’t meaningful or add contrasting colors. For example, adding a nice sculpture doesn’t have to have meaning, but it could certainly make a statement. It could even be a hanging decoration if you really want to add drama!

Jonathan Adler designs a variety of items for the home.

Image via wwd.com

When you’re choosing fabrics, being bold is about style first instead of material. You can mix silk and linen together, just like the way marble and tile may go together. It’s just like picking out your outfit. If you’re really looking for a statement, you could paint the ceilings. Not to mention, some bold designers paint the ceiling even darker than the paint on the walls. It’s all about being dynamic!

So the next time you’re thinking about giving your home a new look, find your inspiration. Jonathan Adler is a great place to start if you’re looking for boldness and more freedom. Your creativity is always limitless.

If you want to explore more art for interior design, SOA Arts is get ready.

The Peebles Corporation. 

Designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates.

Image via robbreport

Known as one of the leading architects of his generation, Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye OBE has made a name for himself with a slew of community-driven projects that make ingenious use of unique materials. His work has garnered him a ton of awards, including the 2021 RIBA Royal Gold Medal, which is considered one of the highest honors in the industry.

In 2000, Adjaye founded Adjaye Associates, which now has studios in Accra, London, and New York. Its work spans the globe, from bespoke furniture collections to temporary pavilions, civic buildings, and breathtaking private houses. Among its biggest projects was the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., whose official opening in 2016 was named “Cultural Event of the Year” by The New York Times.

Just recently, Adjaye once again made headlines when he submitted a project proposal called “The Affirmation Tower,” a massive 1,633-feet-tall (498-meter) upside-down skyscraper that – he hopes – will soon be a feature of New York City’s skyline. It would be built on Site K, which lies only a few blocks away from Hudson Yards and the High Line.

The Peebles Corporation. 

Designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates.

Image via robbreport

“The Affirmation Tower” consists of five different blocks, with each level bigger than the one below it. Many have noted that it looks like a stepped block tower, given that the smallest block is on the bottom while the largest is on top.

This unorthodox design is far from the only thing unique about “The Affirmation Tower,” though. At 1,633 feet or 498 meters tall, it’s set to become one of the tallest buildings in New York City, second only to the One World Trade Center. In addition to corporate offices, it would also house two hotels, an ice skating rink, and an observation deck. The Manhattan headquarters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will be included, as well.

Submitted in response to a Request for Proposals opened by the state government, plans for “The Affirmation Tower” were drawn up by Adjaye, who worked alongside The Peebles Corporation, the McKissack Group, Exact Capital, and Steven Witkoff. This means that if their proposal is ultimately chosen, the building would be the first in New York City to be constructed by a team of only Black architects, developers, lenders, and builders.

The Peebles Corporation. 

Designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates.

Image via robbreport

Needless to say, the potential team is excited about this prospect.

“This project is emblematic of true equity in development,” said Don Peebles, the CEO of The Peebles Corporation. “A symbol for all who visit New York, cementing in brick and mortar that New York is serious about economic inclusion.”

Ordinary New Yorkers are also looking forward to seeing an all-Black team construct a permanent feature of the city.

“Unfortunately, for most of New York’s history, African-Americans and people of color have been rendered as mere economic tourists who gaze upward at one of the greatest skylines in the world with the intrinsic knowledge they will never be able to participate in what really makes New York unique,” explained Reverend Dr. Charles Curtis, the Head of the New York Interfaith Commission for Housing Equality. “The awarding of this project to this team will send a statement across the globe that architects, developers, engineers, and financial professionals of color are now full participants in this great miracle of global capitalism called New York City.”

418 11th Avenue. 

Designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates.

Image via newyorkyimby

Should “The Affirmation Tower” be chosen, the team has promised to commit at least 35% of its contracts to people of color. Given that these contracts will total more than a billion dollars, the project will definitely be a powerful economic engine for the city’s minorities.

“This project will provide $4.4 billion of new economic output per year, bringing thousands of jobs in the construction, design, and development, as well as millions of people across the globe who will be excited to see this iconic skyscraper,” said Peter Ward, the former President of New York’s Hotel and Motel Trades.

Ward’s predictions will likely come true since “The Affirmation Tower” will reportedly require more than 30,000 New Yorkers, who will work on it over the course of six years. The project will also bring in more than $5 billion in tax revenue for New York City over the next three decades, giving it a much-needed economic boost.

“The Affirmation Tower” isn’t Adjaye’s first Manhattan skyscraper, having built a residential tower at 130 William. However, it’s his tallest and most ambitious one, making it clear that he has no intention of repeating what his past projects have achieved.

The Peebles Corporation. 

Designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates.

Image via robbreport

Besides “The Affirmation Tower,” Adjaye is currently working on designing the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA), which will house some of the region’s greatest treasures, including the world-famous Benin bronzes.

In response to this incredible opportunity, Adjaye has said that the EMOWAA would be a “reteaching tool – a place for recalling lost collective memories of the past to instill an understanding of the magnitude and importance of these civilizations and cultures.”

With this year’s projects spanning from New York to Nigeria, it seems as if Sir David Adjaye will soon be making many more extraordinary contributions to the architectural field.

“In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi (わび さび/侘寂) is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete” in nature.” It become more prevalent in recent times.

If you are a big fan of simple, go on and get inspired.

01

What is Wabi-Sabi?

In Japanese, Wabi-sabi (わび さび) means to get rid of the unnecessary and to pursue the essence of nature. However, it doesn’t mean to change its origin, make it pure, and insert vitality.
It is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic, a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. A beauty of things modest and humble. Accepting the natural cycle of growth and decay in which everything has beauty.

Wabi(侘び)means simplicity, which is a low-key decoration and appearance. While Sabi(寂び) means “lonely” or “withering”, its reference to an old style.

In brief, wabi-sabi is an aesthetic idea: the appreciation and acceptance of imperfect beauty and the ability to create beauty from the plain.

02

The Origin of Wabi-Sabi

In 1191, a monk named Ming’ An, who brought Zen Buddhism from China, established Japan’s first zen temple, Seokfuji, and brought the tea ceremony of the Great Song Dynasty. Wabi-sabi was accepted and meditated by Zen and Mahayana Buddhism philosophy and, combined with Japanese art and culture, finally formed aesthetic philosophy thought of wabi-sabi. Later, this aesthetic was integrated into Japanese tea ceremonies, flower ceremonies, garden design, etc.

03

The Conception of Wabi-Sabi

Asymmetry

Wabi-Sabi is one of the three Japanese aesthetics.
Unlike the ideal proportion of perfect symmetry in western aesthetics, wabi-sabi is the appreciation and affirmation of the beauty of imperfection, impermanence and incomplete things.

Incomplete/The pursuit of truth

Imperfection is the soul of wabi-sabi
All the elements are filled with a sense of incompleteness
The shape, the texture, the color, the luster of the object itself
Are absolutely imperfect, full of incompleteness
Blend in the simple and quiet beauty
Switch to your comfort zone.

Old things/Time goes by

Wabi-sabi has been filled with years of vicissitudes
So everything in wabi-sabi was worn out
Like the nicks, the mottled marks on the walls
Or moss and so on
Old as it was, tattered as it was
But there is also a natural beauty that comes with age.

04
Design Elements Commonly Used in Wabi-Sabi

Mottled Wall

The main characteristic of mottled metope
Is a very uneven surface texture
The walls are of different shades of color
Primitive natural, rough style
Give a person a kind of pure plain visual experience.

Handmade Products

The key ornament of wabi-sabi is the handiwork, which is the element that can best express the local culture.
Like hand-woven fabrics, or ceramics, or Zen wood,
The finely textured handmade products are unique and delicate.

Original Wooden Furniture

Wabi-sabi itself is intended to express the original nature
So old wood has been tempered by nature
Despite rain and wind, the baptism of time
Already filled with the vicissitudes of texture
There is no need for secondary processing, adding too much decoration
Itself can be made into a unique texture, natural wood furniture

Simple and Elegant Flower Art

Wabi-sabi flower design, more can reflect wither, lonely visual experience
Simple but elegant, reserved, clear branches and grains
It has the deep charm of Oriental Zen

Plain Cement

Plain cement itself rugged, dry texture
It is in line with the tonality and atmosphere of wabi-sabi
Pure texture, extreme simplicity
It is also a key material element to create the atmosphere of wabi-sabi.

Plain Tone and Withering Rough Texture

Wabi-sabi as a whole does not have many bright colors
Most of them are dark gray and light gray
There are no overly complicated line elements
Indirect interspersed with milky white, earth color, light brown
Emphasis on the expression of wabi-sabi itself rough, dry, tattered
The emptiness of wither and silence

Minimalistic Abstract Painting

Wabi-sabi is mainly based on black, white, and gray
Fresh, minimalistic abstract painting and style of wabi-sabi complement each other

And add a cozy, warm vibe to the room, giving you the sense of returning to nature.

All images via google

Click here to explore wabi-sabi abstract paintings.

Image via Unsplash

There’s a plethora of different interior design styles out there. Finding approaches that work best for you and your business involves taking the time to consider your options. At SOA Arts, we find it’s often valuable to learn from the big names on the scene.

Martyn Lawrence Bullard is a phenomenal example. This interior design titan has been transforming spaces for many years and has been featured in television and award shows in over 60 different countries.

In this overview, we’ll explore the styles and approaches of this artist’s work to uncover valuable inspiration for those looking to improve their own properties. Whether you’re looking for interior design ideas for living room spaces, or just want general interior design tips, you’ve come to the right place.

Read on to learn more.

Martyn Lawrence Bullard (MLB)

Image via martynlawrencebullard.com

Working from his base in LA, Martyn Lawrence Bullard has reached legendary status in the world of property design. His interior design styles are trusted by the likes of Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Tommy Hilfiger, and many more. The good news is that there’s plenty to learn from this artist’s approach. We explore a few key interior design tips below. Check them out.

Interior Design Styles – MLB

A comprehensive exploration of MLB is beyond the scope of this post. We’ve picked out a few headline styles below that should prove helpful in your own designs.

Fabrics and Patterns

Image via martynlawrencebullard.com

One thing that really stands out with this designer’s work is his dazzling array of fabrics and interior patterns. From sumptuous wallpapers to statement cushion cases, fabric material is showcased in full force here.

When designing your own interior, see if you can find a statement fabric pattern that you love. How can you implement this in your space? A furniture fabric? Spread across the walls? The world really is your oyster if you think creatively.

Open, Natural Light

Image via martynlawrencebullard.com

Another feature that crops up again and again in MLB’s work is an abundance of natural lighting. Floor-to-ceiling windows and the floods of sunlight they bring are never far away. The result of this approach is that every other aspect of this artist’s designs is able to shine in all their glory.

As an interior designer, you’ll always be limited by the layout of your rooms. That said, it’s best to allow for as much natural light as possible for your interior spaces. Can you upgrade your windows to allow for more light?

Are you placing your furniture and statement pieces strategically to avoid blocking your available sunlight?

Statement Colors

Image via Unsplash

MLB’s use of color can teach us valuable lessons about how to design interiors. In general, neutral tones are used throughout, with the exception of one intentional accent color.

This more vibrant, striking tone is often used intelligently to highlight a few iconic pieces. When creating your own spaces, think about how you can use color intelligently to draw focus to where you’d like it to be.

Interior Design Styles SOA Arts

At SOA Arts, we have over a decade’s experience in creating, sourcing, and curating spectacular art for businesses around the world. We’re intimately familiar with current interior design trends and have everything you need to transform your property.

Whether you’re looking for something specific or need help getting started, feel free to get in touch today and a member of our team will be more than happy to get the ball rolling.

For incredible interiors with impact, think SOA Arts.

Hyundai Commission "Anicka Yi: In Love With the World" Tate Modern 2021. Photo ©Tate (Ben Fisher Photography).

It’s about time that we’ve seen some artificial intelligence on display for art purposes. As one of the premiere urban spaces on the globe, Turbine Hall opened doors in 2000. Outstanding artists from all around showcase their work at Turbine Hall for thousands to see at a time. However, Anicka Yi is taking a mind-blowing approach to Turbine Hall as she showcases what she does best: Using scent and air. Let’s take a look at her recently announced exhibit, In Love with the World, which looks something like a robotic alien invasion.

Anicka Yi is a conceptual artist who’s made an iconic mark among science, fragrance, and cuisine. As dominant as visuals are in the world of art, Yi incorporates smell into her work. Some of her selected works include You Can Call Me Fat The Kitchen (2015) and The Flavor Genome (2017). Not to mention, she won the 2016 Hugo Boss Prize, which recognized the power of body and singularity of the experimental portfolio of her work.

Image via Guggenheim Museum

One of her prized solo exhibitions: Life is Cheap, was ambitious enough. Bacteria were cultivated in separate rooms, ant colonies, custom scents and temperatures were produced to stimulate all the senses of visitors.

Anicka Yi used stunning visuals for this exhibit, such as powder-coated stainless steel, LED lights, and digital clocks. She combined bacteria and refrigeration with these visuals along with much more to create a perception of our sensory. Intersecting ideas of science, politics and human feelings like anxiety bring Life is Cheap to life. But now, she’s broken ground with a whole new level of ambition at Turbine Hall.

In Love with the World is the latest installment by Anicka Yi. It’ll leave you wondering about the barrage of balloons over your head. These helium-filled balloons have robotic arms that swim gracefully above as they float on. The floating drones detect human temperature and interact with the warmth that we produce. As you visit, the robotic machines, which are called “aeronomes” each have unique aromas that they dispense. The aeronomes populate the space around In Love with the World and create an ecosystem.

In Love With the World by Anicka Yi in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

The potential and mysterious nature of these aeronomes give excitement for the future. Could the scents change over time with different interactions? Or could the floating machines assemble in an organized fashion? They are human-engineered after all. But the robotics are meant to respond to humans just like we react to them. The truth is, we have no idea what’s in store for the behavior of her artificial intelligence.

Installation view of Hyundai Commission “Anicka Yi: In Love With the World” at Tate Modern, October 2021. Photo by Will Burrard Lucas.

So what’s the meaning of this scientific ecosystem stimulating all of our senses in the process. Anicka Yi’s art philosophy is based around removing the barriers that we build between ourselves and nature. It’s about the way that we make distinctions between humans, animals, and plants. A trip to In Love with the World leaves visitors with questions about ourselves along with the system that we live in. It’s a blend of science, technology and biology that work seamlessly together.

Installation view of the Hyundai Commission: Anicka Yi: In Love With The World at Tate Modern, London.Photo: Will Burrard-Lucas

The captivating exhibit In Love with the World opened on October 12, 2021, and will run through January 16, 2022. Hyundai Motor and Tate Modern announced the opening as partners for Yi’s latest installment. It’s Anicka Yi’s biggest and most ambitious project yet. Her use of scent and air inspires new ideas about our own impact on the ecosystem as humans. How will you perceive the ample space flooded with robotic aeronomes that float? The ever changing behavior of Yi’s aeronomes is sure to make some more headlines heading into the following year.

If you’re a fan of art, then you’ll love these sculpture parks. Visiting these outdoor art installations is a great way to enjoy fresh air and culture at the same time.

To enjoy art, you don’t need to crowd into galleries.

Strolling  Sculpture Park s= Visiting  Art Exhibits

Noguchi has emphasized the similarities between natural Spaces and artworks, saying, “I like to think of gardens as sculptures of space.”

In an open-air environment, sculptures are not constrained by the traditional restrictions of indoor museums and galleries, and their environment makes them more powerful. More importantly, the sculpture park offers visitors a new perspective on art and nature, capturing the harmony of their dialogue with each other. Today’s article will share 15 great outdoor art centers around the world that will prove that enjoying art installations doesn’t have to be an indoor experience.

01 The Most Powerful Collection of Contemporary Sculpture in America

Storm King Art Center

New Windsor, New York

Quiet hills and open fields, a day’s trip from New York City. Founded in 1960, Storm King has the most powerful collection of contemporary sculptures in the United States, with more than 100 masterpieces dotting the stunning landscape on 500 acres.

Works by Andy Goldsworthy, Sol LeWitt, and Henry Moore, among others, dot the hills, woodlands, and ponds, creating a melodious connection between art and nature.

In addition to an incredible permanent collection, from award-winning temporary exhibitions to public programs like bird watching and yoga, Storm King aims to foster an appreciation of sculpture and enrich the local community.

02 New Place Near Berlin

Schlossgut Schwante
Oberkrämer, Germany

The Schlossgut Schwante Sculpture Park, just 45 minutes from Berlin Mitte, opened on June 19, 2020.

The inaugural exhibition, Sculpture and Nature, features works by international artists, including Ai Weiwei, Tony Cragg and Maria Loboda in impressive manorial and pastoral Settings.

The park will update its program every two years and engage with the local community through yoga and photography classes, markets, artist lectures and other promising events.

03 An Art Center Deep in the Brazilian Rainforest

Inhotim
Brumadinho, Brazil

In the mid-1980s, Bernardo Paz, a Brazilian mining magnate and one of the country’s foremost collectors, conceived of inhotim, which quickly became one of Latin America’s most impressive outdoor art centers and a natural heritage site.

Today, it is one of the most important contemporary art museums in the world on this private property. Within a tropical forest of over 140 hectares, a simple visit easily turns into an endless exploration, combining art and nature.

It is a vast botanical garden with a diversity of rare species from all continents and more than 1,400 palm trees. You can see this via Eliasson’s Viewing Machine -- a kaleidoscopic tunnel that enhances the stunning vegetation around it.

04 Grazing Sheep Everywhere

Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Wakefield, England

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the UK’s first permanent sculpture institution and one of the most stunning collections of sculpture in the world. Located in West Yorkshire, England, the park houses works by world-renowned artists such as Henry Moore, Anthony Gormley, Joan Miro and Mark di Souvero, which blend elegantly with seasonal changes and spectacular elements of nature.

YSP has also been praised for its top rotating exhibitions, currently featuring works by Damien Hirst and Joana Vasconcelos. A stroll through the fields, lush greenery, a chance encounter with grazing sheep and a visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park is surely an overall magical experience.

05 Cells of Life in the Rural Landscape

Jupiter Artland
Edinburgh, Scotland

Jupiter Artland is one of Scotland’s leading arts organizations and is located on an old estate, just outside Edinburgh, with a stunning sculpture garden covering over 100 acres of woodland and grassland. Nicky and Robert Wilson, the founders and art collectors, bought the property in 1999 and decided to open the site to the public in 2009, creating an engaging space.

Here, you can see artworks by artists like Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker and Anish Kapoor scattered around the delicate rural landscape.

At the heart of the park, the earth artist Charles Jencks created Cells of Life, a spectacular series of rolling hills and lakes.

06 Overlooking the Oslofjord

Ekeberg Park
Oslo, Norway

Ekeberg, a wooded 25-acre site just outside downtown Oslo, was opened in 2013 by the art collector Christian Ringnes. Here, exquisite sculptures can be found deep in the forest.

The park has several spectacular overlook points that magnify the beauty of Oslo Fjord, as well as its fascinating geological elements. While wildlife roamed through modern and contemporary sculptures, including works by artists Auguste Rodin, Salvador Dali, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Damien Hirst and Louise Bourgeois.

There is on display Fujiko Nakaya’s mist installation, like a fairyland of deep forest mist. Of course, James Turrel’s Skyspace will always be a hit.

07 Both Herding Animals and Herding Art

Gibbs Farm
Kaipara Harbour, New Zealand

An hour’s drive north of Auckland, Gibbs Farm is New Zealand’s most impressive sculpture park, overlooking Kampala Harbour, among the largest in the world.

Founder Alan Gibbs strives to push the limits of the relationship between art and nature, commissioning artists to create works in response to this vast and stunning landscape.

Covering more than 1,000 acres of grassy hilltops and spectacular lakes, the park is home to many “farm” animals, including zebras and buffaloes. Gibbs Farm includes outstanding works from Andy Goldsworthy, Saul Levitt, Neil Dawson and Anish Kapoor.

08 A Truly Poetic Artistic Experience

Lake Ballard
Menzies, Australia

It’s not strictly a sculpture park, but Inside Australia is the largest outdoor gallery in Australia. Lake Ballard is a salt lake full of history, serene and detached beauty.

It is the installation site for Antony Gormley’s work Inside Australia, featuring 51 cast steel humanoid figures placed 750 meters apart on the lake.

The figures blend into the vast landscape, playing with the viewer’s perception field as their reflections travel with the light on the salt surface. This is a truly poetic artistic experience.

09 The Hottest Art Island

Japan’s Art Islands
Naoshima, Teshima, Inujima, Japan

Often referred to as Japan’s art islands, Naoshima, Toshima, and Odo are part of a cluster of communal or rural islands located in Japan’s inland sea. Japanese billionaire Soichiro Fukutake opened the Benesse House Museum on Naoshima in 1992, hoping to bring together contemporary architecture and art, using the island’s natural beauty as the perfect backdrop for contemporary art.

Naoshima is the most famous art island, with large-scale museums such as the Ichiaka Art Museum and a picturesque landscape decorated with Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkins. Toshima is home to Toshima Art Museum, an incredible, otherworldly place that challenges every notion of what a museum should be.

10 After Seeing Van Gogh, Explore by Bike

Kröller-Müller Museum and Sculpture Garden
Otterlo, Netherlands

The Crowler-Muller Museum is home to nearly 90 paintings and more than 180 drawings by Van Gogh.

The Kroller-Muller Museum is the Dutch artist’s second-largest collection in the world (after the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam). Outside the museum is a sculpture garden covering more than 60 acres with about 160 works, By Lucio Fontana, Jean Dubuffet, Pierre Huyghe, and Aristide Maillol.

Opened in 1961, the Kroller-Muller park is now one of the largest sculpture parks in Europe, offering inviting spaces to relax or picnic, trails for running or walking, and pavilions designed by Dutch designers Gerrit Rietveld and Aldo van Eyck.

Both the museum and the park are located within the magnificent Hoge Veluwe National Park, where visitors can explore for free by bike, where deer, foxes and a variety of birds and reptiles can be seen among the marshes, grasslands and trees.

11 Committed to Nature and Sustainable Development

Lough Boora Sculpture Park
Boora, Ireland

Settled by mesolithic people around 10,000 years ago, Lake Buola Bergland has a rich history and impressive biodiversity. Within the park, five major trails cover more than 30 miles of wetlands, lakes, and grasslands that are home to frogs, dragonflies, ibex and about 130 bird species. The park, operated by Bord Na Mona, is committed to conservation and sustainability, and its sculpture program follows this principle.

The 24 pieces here are made of natural and industrial materials from the swampy region, including wood, stone and rail, which in turn have been altered by environmental weathering or plant growth. Works in harmony with The natural environment like The Celtic Knot by Padraig Larkin, made of local 5,000-year-old pine and glacial rock, and Convergence by David Kinane, A fan-lattice metal and wood structure was designed to reflect the local cooling towers and drainage lines carved throughout the marsh.

12 An Exhibition Space for Art Retreats

Sculpture at Schoenthal

Jura Hills, Switzerland

The Schoenthal Monastery in Jura Hills, Switzerland, is now an exhibition space for lectures and art retreats. The landscape around the monastery is a sculpture park, with works dotted along various paths. The idea behind all the pieces is to create sculptures that are in some way in harmony with the natural landscape.

On the 100 hectares of land around Schoenthal, there are currently 31 works created by 22 Swiss and internationally renowned artists. It takes about four hours to see all the exhibits. The sculptors on display are Ulrich Luckerim, Eric Steinbrecher, David Nash, Nigel Hall and Martin Disler.

13 The Dreamscape of the Road Inspector

The Rock Garden
Chandigarh, India

Chandigarh is Le Corbusier’s modernist architectural utopia in India. Nek Chand, an unassuming road inspector, has begun collecting discarded materials and turning them into sculptures and statues that depict both traditional Indian life and dreamy landscapes.

He worked in secret for a decade, building illegally on protected land, but when the authorities discovered his micro-kingdom in 1975, instead of destroying it, they gave him a salary and 50 workers to continue his garden. Today, the 25-acre rock garden, which hosts thousands of sculptures in large Mosaic courtyards linked by walled paths and deep canyons, is visited by 5,000 people a day.

14 A Surreal Place in the Jungle

Las Pozas
Xilitla, Mexico

Edward James, a friend and patron of Magritte and Dali, was also the owner of the 20th century’s greatest collection of surrealist art -- which he sold to fund the spectacular Las Pozas Gardens. Las Pozas occupies more than 80 acres of rainforest north of Mexico City and is made up of towering sculptures, pavilions, and concrete structures that interweave with walkways, bridges, pools, and waterfalls.

The project, which James calls a “surrealist extraneous place,” took 35 years, cost more than $5 million and involved more than 150 employees. The three-story house actually has five, four or six storeys, and it’s like being in a surrealist painting, walking through doors with no direction, through concrete flowers and up a spiral staircase.

15 Gaudi's Imagination

Park Güell
Barcelona, Spain

Not far from the center of Barcelona, Park Guel is a whimsical wonderland designed by famed Spanish architect Gaudi at the turn of the 20th century. While it’s not a typical sculpture park, it’s a fascinating demonstration of Gaudi’s ability to artfully integrate art, design and architecture -- from the widely used bright tiles to the dreamlike gingerbread house-like gate guard structures. Gaudi’s style arose as part of a unique Catalan interpretation of art Nouveau, which adopted new aesthetics while adopting traditional architectural techniques.

Commissioned by businessman Eusebi Guell, the park promises traditional elements such as walkways, shaded colonnades and outdoor seating, but all with a clear role for Gaudi. Columns tilt at an Angle, a serpentine bench decorated with dazzling mosaics winds its way around an elevated pavilion with panoramic views of Barcelona, and an iconic Mosaic lizard fountain guards the park’s main staircase.

Shilpa Gupta

Portrait of Shilpa Gupta (Image courtesy of the artist)

Art exhibitions in London are hardly difficult to find. That said, this installation from artist Shilpa Gupta deserves a special mention. It combines illustrations, poetry excerpts, and an hour-long audio piece to celebrate the voices of detained, censored, and otherwise suppressed poets throughout history.

At SOA Arts, it’s our job to keep our fingers on the pulse of art news and recent developments. How else would we be able to offer next-level interior design and art curation for our clients? If you’re wondering what art exhibitions are on in London or the rest of the world, be sure to keep an eye on our blog for updates.

Art Exhibitions London – the Concept

Barbican Centre

Image via musiceducation.global

Throughout history, countless poets and artists have seen their work suppressed for various reasons. In their own times, the words they wrote were silenced. In some cases, simply discussing certain topics could land artists in jail.

To avoid further persecution, some poets would etch their poems into soap bars in secret; others would record their work onto cassette tapes. Ingenious methods were devised to share their art with the world.

This Barbican installation is designed to celebrate a broad spectrum of work that went unheard when first written. A combination of visual, sonic, and written elements works in tandem to showcase poetry from around the world.

The Audio-Visual Installation

For, in your tongue, I cannot fit (sound installation with 100 speakers, microphones, printed text and metal stands)

Image via www.barbican.org.uk

Art exhibitions in London are usually showcased to a very high standard, and this example from Shilpa Gupta is no exception. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the experience is the audio-visual installation towards the end of the exhibit.

Shilpa Gupta, For, in your tongue I cannot fit – 100 Jailed Poets. (Image courtesy of the artist, YARAT and Edinburgh Art Festival)

image via baku-magazine.com

Dozens of black microphones hang above impaled scraps of paper in a dark room (see image above). Excerpts from poets around the world echo off the walls. On the scraps of paper, lines and poems from these artists can be found.

Shilpa Gupta, For, In Your Tongue I Cannot Fit 2017-2018, Sound Installation with 100 speakers, microphones, printed text and metal stands, Site Specific.

Courtesy: the artist and GALLERIA CONTINUA, San Gimignano / Beijing / Les Moulins / Habana. Photo: Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio. 

Image via www.galleriacontinua.com

The result is an experience that’s remarkably difficult to express. The magnitude of these poems is brought to the forefront and is powerfully punctuated by the visual elements of the space.

The Flipboard

Image via www.barbican.org.uk

Another impressive aspect of this art exhibition comes in the form of a pair of airport-style flap boards. These displays face each other in an open, white space. Instead of announcing flight times or arrivals, they display a form of conversation with each other. Thoughts of freedom, love, and peace are explored. These sentiments are accompanied by the loud clacking of the spinning boards that rotate each time a new message appears.

24:00:01, 2012, motion Flapboard, video, 30 min 45 sec loop, 225 x 20 x 28 cm, Photo Ela Bialkowska

Image via www.galleriacontinua.com

We like to stay on top of art news, so we experience a lot of new work quite regularly. Despite our experience, we were still very impressed by the impact this installation had.

The Poems

Shilpa Gupta. (Image courtesy of the artist and YARAT. Photo Fakhriyya Mammadova)

Image via baku-magazine.com

One thing that really stands out with this exhibition is the breadth of poetry that is celebrated. Work from all around the world can be found and explored. Whether it’s small excerpts, inspired illustrations, cast-iron sculptures, or audio pieces, there’s something for everyone here.

The work is on display until February 2022 at the Barbican Centre in London.

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Guadalupe Maravilla. PHOTO: STEVE BENISTY

Image via www.artnews.com

Last October 5, 2021, the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter – Norway’s leading art museum – announced Guadalupe Maravilla as this year’s lucky recipient of The Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award. 

A multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, New York, Guadalupe Maravilla’s life story is long, colorful, and extraordinary. He was born in 1976 in El Salvador, where he spent his early years drawing and creating sculptures. In 1984, when he was barely eight years old, his family helped him flee the country’s civil war by hiring a coyote to escort him across the border into Texas. 

While his family was later able to join him in New York, Maravilla remained an undocumented immigrant for more than two decades. At 27, he finally became a US citizen. 

Despite his status, Maravilla managed to become the first in his family to attend college, majoring in photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and earning his BFA in 2003. He went on to become one of the country’s greatest sculptors and multidisciplinary artists, known for his masterful combination of indigenous traditions and urban culture, both of which take inspiration from his experiences as an undocumented immigrant and a cancer survivor. 

Guadalupe Maravilla, Disease Thrower #5, 2019. Mixed media sculpture, shrine, instrument, headdress, 91 x 55 x 45 inches. Courtesy Jack Barrett Gallery, New York.

Image via brooklynrail.org

For instance, Maravilla’s most recent works are the 13th and 14th installations of his “Disease Thrower” series, which seeks to explore his past. According to his designated page on the Socrates Sculpture Park website:

“The towering, totemic, twisting forms recall coral formations and are constructed primarily from recycled aluminum-cast water-expanding gel beads and stainless steel tubing. The sculptures feature two large gongs activated during sound baths and various symbolic elements, including cast fruits, vegetables, decorative dishes, and other aluminum parts relating to the artist’s personal healing journey. These two shrine-like, instrumental structures create the central element of the exhibition’s altar-space.”

Image via www.thisiscolossal.com

This in-depth exploration of a painful and vulnerable time in his life is one of the main reasons why Maravilla was awarded The Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award, which comes with a cash prize of $100,000, making it one of the largest in the world. The following statement accompanied the jury’s announcement:

“Guadalupe Maravilla’s interdisciplinary practice constantly refers to his experiences of exile and illness, migration and healing, identity and displacement. Yet [his] work is also far more than his life. Building on personal narratives but venturing far afield into pre-Columbian mythologies, collective memory, geopolitical history, and material culture, the artist constructs artworks that act. His sculptures and elaborate constructions are also performative tools; he collaborates with others to create interactive wall drawings; he has choreographed a motorcycle gang chorus, and crossed the Rio Grande using one of his artworks as a flotation device.”

Image via www.artspeak.nyc

Besides this, the panel also took note of Maravilla’s incredible response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, they praised him for organizing volunteers in New York to help the city’s immigrant communities get through the crisis.

The award’s panel consisted of some of the art world’s most esteemed figures. Among them were María Inès Rodríguez, the Curator-at-Large of São Paolo’s Museu de Arte, and Michelle Kuo, the Curator of Painting and Sculpture of New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. Director Tone Hansen of the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, and Paulina Rider Wilhelmsen, a family member of the prize’s namesake, were both judges too. 

A large and extremely prestigious prize, The Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award is presented bi-annually to artists whose work is deemed to be inspirational, motivating the youth and future generations to become socially responsible. 

After undergoing successful cancer treatment, the artist Guadalupe Maravilla began using gongs in his shamanic sculptures, which he refers to as “healing machines.”

Photograph by Sara Morgan / Courtesy the artist, Socrates Sculpture Park, and PPOW

Image via www.newyorker.com

Besides the cash prize of $100,000, the award also designates an acquisition budget so that the winner’s work can be presented as a solo exhibit at the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter. This will run in 2022, from January 14 to April 30. 

The Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award was established in 2019 as a way to promote social responsibility among younger generations. Maravilla is its second recipient; the inaugural prize was given to the Nigerian-born multidisciplinary artist Otobong Nkanga, who uses a wide variety of mediums to explore how the value consumers place on desirable commodities often compromises the environment. That same year, she also won the Sharjah Biennial Prize and even received a special mention at the 58th Venice Biennale. 

Guadalupe Maravilla has yet to make a public statement regarding his prize. But having earned such a prestigious award, he’s undoubtedly proud of himself and eager to take his work to much greater heights.

01
Artist Profile
Guan XinRan

Guan Xinran, born in Beijing in 1992, now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a bachelor's degree in Art and Engineering from Bard College and Columbia University and a master of Arts in Painting from Maryland Institute of Art.

Guan Xinran's works are mainly non-figurative paintings. The individual's perception, thinking and imagination of life are combined with the capture of light and color overlay to construct a spiritual world of strange light and shadows. Here, she freely expresses the beauty of nature, the magic of life, and the complexity and contradiction everywhere. Here, the conflict of duality is reconciled; Growth and decay, beauty and ugliness, joy and sorrow make up a harmonious perfection. Here is the refraction of reality, and beyond the shackles of reality, not an escape, but a sincere blessing to the world. Guan Xinran's works make a bold attempt to combine Chinese and Western art. Influenced by Chinese tragic beauty, she creates a unique visual effect and psychological experience of light and space with color.

In 2017, her works were selected by Today Art Museum "The Fourth Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition -- Chinese Spirit (Non-figurative Part)". In the past three years, she has been invited to participate in the opening exhibition of "Zheng De Art Gallery New York", "Wind and Sea Art Exhibition" of Baltimore City Hall, "Young Asian Artists Group Exhibition" of Korean Culture Association in New York. In 2020, Guan Xinran's solo exhibition, You are the Lightning on the Other side, was held in Qiaoshe Gallery, Beijing. In 2020, her works "Mountain and Sea" and "The Keeper" were collected by Capital One Financial Corp.

"Let the world understand Chinese culture."
-- Guan Xinran, a post-90s oil painter, and her Oriental tragic aesthetics

"The process of creating art is painful because it requires you to expose yourself at your most vulnerable and confront what your subconscious doesn't want to face."
-- Guan Xinran

02
Innate Artistic Talent

Guan Xinran is a talented young woman and a female painter in a new generation. Her love for art is firm and persistent, and she has an innate eye for art.

When more than a year old, Guan Xinran could draw smooth and complete faces on paper with a pen. She could draw different portraits wherever she could write, whether in newspapers or textbooks. To protect Guan's unique spirituality, her family didn't let her learn sketching at first, concerning it would limit her imagination.

Night Wish
48 x108 inches oil on canvas 2019

Then Guan Xinran learned to play the piano, but she was always confident in her paintings and still loved painting. Of course, Guan Xinran's experience of learning the piano is not entirely useless for her artistic cultivation of paintings. Many pictures come to her mind with the melody of music, forming a space that does not exist and developing an immediate desire to paint what she imagines in her mind.

Untitled
60 x72 inches oil on canvas 2019

In 2011, she was 19, the night before Guan Xinran set out to study in the United States, she told her mother that her biggest regret was that she didn't learn the art. This obsession makes Guan Xinran's life path destined not to be extended in the established direction. After many twists and turns, she finally chooses the road of art and runs forward unswervingly.

In 2020, Guan Xinran's works were exhibited at the 25th Guangzhou Art Fair.

From 2011 to 2016, Guan studied studio Art at Bard College and Operations Research at Columbia University School of Engineering and received a double degree in Art and Engineering in 2016. After graduation, Guan talked about art with her mother again. This time, she told her mother, "I can only find myself in painting." Guan Xinran's resolute attitude towards art is unshakeable. So far, her family has no hesitation in letting her pursue her dream freely.

Guan Xinran graduated from Columbia University

In 2019, Guan received her MFA degree from the Maryland Institute of Art. During this period of study, Guan Xinran's works were selected into the "Chinese Spirit - the Fourth Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition (Section 3) Abstract - Contemporary Chinese Non-figurative Oil Painting Exhibition", and his artistic talent and strength were gradually recognized.

03
Chinese Tragedy Aesthetics

Guan Xinran has conveyed to the outside world that her works are presented as an aesthetic experience of Chinese tragedy. But what she calls a "Chinese-style tragedy" may not be understood by everyone.

Tragedy has different meanings and interpretations in different cultures and civilizations. Western tragedy, grand, divine, with the misfortune and the trick of fate, and in a dominant posture away from human beings; Chinese tragedy, on the other hand, is only a true manifestation of the other side of daily life, separation and death, love, hate, hatred, delusion. It is the sublimation of people's life experience, a part of life and constitutes life and a more distinct presentation of good and evil.

You are the Lightning on the other side 1

60x72 inch oil on canvas 2019

You are the Lightning on the other side 2
60x72 inch oil on canvas 2019

The tragic aesthetics created by Guan Xinran is actually a process of her struggle, reflection, and finally dissolution and acceptance in her life experience. She expresses those feelings and pain through drops of color and brush strokes, but in a gentle and elegant way.

For example, in the works "The Mist", fog stands between the spiritual and the material worlds, preventing us from reaching the truth, becoming an insurmountable obstacle between the saints and the ordinary, and creating unsolvable suffering. At the same time, fog also makes the holy more sacred and makes the other more attractive.

The Mist
72 x 96 inch, oil on canvas, 2019

"Tragedy is never just negative, and it is an integral part of a perfect life, and therefore perfect. Just like laughter and tears always go together, you can't feel the light without knowing the darkness. To me, gentle handling is a determination to accept reality and have the courage to dance with it."
- Guan Xinran

04
Let the World Understand Chinese Culture

Guan hopes to spread Chinese culture in a way that the world can understand. Although the expression form of her paintings is western abstract and non-concrete language, its core is always the soul of China. During her study in the United States, her teacher commented that her paintings were pure and had strong Oriental elements.

Both the inner emotion expression of Chinese tragedy in her pictures and the external brushwork expression of writing and spirit are characterized by distinct and implicit Oriental aesthetic thoughts. Guan Xinran is indeed fascinated by Chinese culture. She obtains creative sources from Bada Shanren, Mu Xi, and The Book of Mountains and Seas, and explores in Chinese poetry, constantly making new attempts to her own artistic language.

The Emperor of Popsicle
48X60 inch oil on canvas 2017

"Western oil painting is my favorite medium, and I'm good at it, while eastern philosophical and aesthetic thoughts have built my world outlook and ideological basis. I don't want to simply use oil mediums to draw Chinese paintings, nor do I want to combine the two at a superficial level. Although my understanding of Oriental aesthetics is just beginning, I want to create contemporary artworks that use the media techniques of oil painting to express Oriental aesthetic ideas and artistic conception."

Snow Day
36X48 inch oil on canvas 2019

As a young artist from China, Guan Xinran has vivid creativity and talent, as well as a lofty patriotic mission. When interests and feelings are closely aligned, and pursuit and loyalty remain constant, her life is bound to release a brilliant and dazzling light.

05
Enjoy Guan Xinran‘ s Works

I Celebrate Myself, I Sing Myself
56X88 inches oil on canvas 2018

Waiting for the Wind
48X68 inch oil on wood 2016

No One Sees Me
36X48 inches 2017

Prelude to Melancholy
36X36cm Oil on canvas 2017

Mountains and Seas i
60x72cm oil on canvas 2018

Mountains and Seas ii
48x60cm oil on canvas 2018

Mountains and Seas iii
48x48cm oil on canvas 2018

It's So Fluffy, I Could Die!
84x60 inch oil on canvas 2019

The Raven
48 x 60 inch, oil on canvas, 2017

Can You Find Me
48×68 inch, 2016

Up is the Direction

Shall I Compare You to a Summer breeze
60×84 inch, oil on canvas, 2019

The Keeper
48 x 48 inch, oil on canvas, 2018

Sink Hole

Mid-summer Night

It All Gone
8×10 inch, oil on board, 2019

Explore more contemporary oil paintings, welcome to visit SOA Arts for more.