Amidst the echoes of revolution and the weight of censorship, an artist found her voice.

Born in Iran just a few years after significant societal change, Hoda Ramy grew up in a conservative culture hostile to women and their self-expression. Yet, raised by parents who nurtured her love for art, she developed a deep appreciation for creativity.

Ramy spent two miserable years studying finance before dropping out and enrolling in the only school in Iran offering animation as an undergraduate degree.

But her journey through academia was not without its trials. The stifling atmosphere of conservative education clashed with her yearning for self-expression. Despite the challenges, she persevered, honing her craft amidst the chaos, determined to carve a path for herself in the world of animation.

After years of perseverance, an opportunity emerged—a beacon of hope amidst the shadows. Acceptance into Pratt Institute’s MFA program beckoned from across the globe, offering a chance to break free from the chains of censorship and embrace artistic liberation. The path to New York was fraught with obstacles, from bureaucratic hurdles to financial strains exacerbated by international sanctions.

In New York, it took Ramy some time and courage to shed layers of self-censorship that had bound her for so long.

Now, Hoda Ramy is a successful Animation Director based in Brooklyn, renowned for her 2D and experimental animation expertise. With a background in motion graphics, Ramy seamlessly blends artistic expression with technical precision. Her distinctive style, characterized by minimalism and vibrant color palettes, draws inspiration from dreams and modern painters such as Cezanne, Matisse, and van Gogh. With a commitment to storytelling, her animations captivate audiences across media, from dynamic commercial animations to immersive films, showcasing a mastery of the craft and a dedication to pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling.

Ramy’s directorial prowess shines in projects like the official music video for Säje Voices’ track “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” which clinched a Grammy this year. Additionally, her work in the “Nobel Planta” documentary was featured in The New Yorker Documentary.

In an exclusive interview, The Urban Watch sat down with Ramy to explore the profound influences of her upbringing in Iran, the evolution of her artistic freedom upon relocating to the U.S., her notable accomplishments, and her dedication to giving back to the community in New York.

NURTURING CREATIVITY AMIDST ADVERSITY

Do you come from a creative family? Were you always a creative kid? 

My mother deeply admired art, particularly Dutch painters like Vincent van Gogh and Vermeer. She often shared her passion by showing us movies about artists, and I remember the spark in her eyes as she inserted “Lust of Life” into the VHS player, eagerly explaining the plotline to us.

She was proficient in various crafts, from embroidery to macrame, crochet, and knitting– a creative force in her own right. On the other hand, my father, an engineer and a builder, constructed a cozy library room for us. Within it, I had my own corner with my favorite books and movies, where I could spend hours drawing and painting. My father was an amazing painter and gave me my first lessons in drawing. 

What was your experience like navigating the professional landscape in Iran?

I wanted to pursue a career as an artist, but despite my parents’ passion for art, they encouraged me to choose a different path. I spent two miserable years studying finance, but you can never escape your destiny. I dropped out and took the national test to enter art school. Only one school in the country offers animation as an undergraduate degree and accepts only a handful of students yearly. Luckily, I was accepted.

I was overjoyed, but an art education came with its own challenges. The school was very conservative in its educational approach. 

After graduation, I worked as a freelance motion designer and animator for a while. Then, I got a chance to work as a motion designer and animation director at the international branch of the Iranian News Agency.

Can you share your experiences and obstacles when immigrating to the United States?

I was admitted to Pratt’s MFA program, but obtaining the visa took two years due to the travel ban in effect at the time. Overcoming the bureaucratic hurdles and restrictions imposed by the ban was daunting. Persistence, meticulous documentation, and guidance from immigration experts were crucial in securing the student visa, allowing me to pursue my educational aspirations despite external challenges. However, upon arriving in the U.S., another obstacle awaited me.

Financial difficulties arose due to sanctions imposed on Iranian banks, affecting international transactions and impacting my education. I pursued scholarship opportunities, part-time work, and financial aid programs to address these challenges. Strategic budgeting and guidance from academic advisors were essential in managing these financial hurdles while maintaining my commitment to education.

In addition, releasing myself from a self-censoring mentality was a significant challenge. Overcoming this ingrained tendency to self-censor required a conscious effort to embrace authenticity and express my thoughts freely. Engaging in self-reflection and participating in expressive arts played a crucial role in breaking free from these mental constraints. This shift empowered me to share my true self without fear of judgment or external restrictions.

“Releasing myself from a self-censoring mentality was a significant challenge.”

Hoda Ramy

How has your work changed once you allowed yourself to create freely? What themes did you start exploring that you couldn’t before?

In Iran, being a woman often translates to feeling insignificant. Teachers in school were overly critical, fostering a sense of inadequacy. This atmosphere cultivated an unhealthy relationship with my identity and body. Feminine voices were suppressed, with encouragement to speak deeper. Art considered too revealing faced censorship, sometimes covered up by commissioned artists.

It took me a long time to allow myself to create freely. In the U.S., I approached my senior thesis cautiously, opting for metaphorical expression over directly exploring my identity. I used symbols like birds to convey deeper meanings. Gender seemed troubling to me, and I was hesitant to depict body parts, resulting in flat, childlike characters. However, as I embraced creative freedom, I began celebrating the beauty of the human form, recognizing that it’s just that—a body. I’m currently pitching a short about womanhood and body dysphoria. 

It’s ironic how, even in the U.S., patriarchy persists. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was shocking to me. Across the globe, patriarchy endures, constantly attempting to strip away women’s rights. Interestingly, Iran was among the first countries where women could vote, preceding even Switzerland.

PROJECTS SHAPING THE FUTURE

You were recently selected as the art director for the Emruz Festival. This year, the festival is centered around the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement that erupted in Iran after the tragic murder of Zhina Mahsa Amini at the hands of the Morality Police in September 2022. Could you please elaborate on the festival’s significance and your role in it?

This project holds immense significance in providing a platform to amplify the voices of Persian female artists from all over the world. Collaborating with a team of talented Persian women creatives, I play a pivotal role in shaping the festival’s artistic direction. Through my creative leadership, our team works cohesively to establish a safe and empowering space where these artists can freely express themselves.

This ongoing collaborative project promotes inclusivity, cultural exchange, and the recognition of unique narratives that are often unheard of. Together with my team, we actively nurture a powerful space for connection, understanding, and the flourishing of creativity among Persian women globally.

As the Director at The Animation Project (TAP), a nonprofit organization, can you provide insights into your role and share how you contribute to shaping the future careers of youths in New York City? What specific impact do you aim to achieve, and why is The Animation Project crucial in supporting the aspirations of these individuals?

I am a fervent advocate for equal opportunities, and at TAP, we embody this principle by offering a comprehensive program that goes beyond conventional education. Our initiative is a unique blend of therapy, education, and workforce development, providing untapped creatives with the skills and confidence to thrive in the media and animation industries.

TAP stands out by providing direct-service software training, career readiness mentorship, and personal development guidance. We recognize the equity gap in opportunities for young talents and aim to bridge that gap by offering focused training on industry-standard programs coupled with essential workforce guidance.

Our impact goes beyond technical skills – it’s about instilling confidence, fostering creativity, and creating a pathway for diverse voices to be heard. Through TAP, we aim to empower the next generation of storytellers, animators, and creative minds who might otherwise face barriers in pursuing their dreams.

You’re also an adjunct video advertising professor at CUNY. What has the experience been like? Would you consider a future career in academia?

Being an adjunct video advertising professor at CUNY has been an incredibly rewarding and enriching experience for me. The intersection of art and education has provided a dynamic platform to share my knowledge with aspiring artists.

The experience has been characterized by the joy of witnessing students’ growth and development and seeing their passion for video advertising evolve into tangible skills. The classroom setting at CUNY has allowed me to engage with diverse perspectives, spark meaningful discussions, and push the boundaries of creativity.

Reflecting on this experience, the idea of a future academic career appeals to me. I am deeply committed to continuing my role in education, driven by the belief that nurturing the next generation of creative minds is a responsibility and a privilege. 

Simultaneously, I want to explore avenues beyond academia. I plan on steering my creative energies towards establishing an animation studio to bring a feature animated film to life. 

In the near future, my journey will be a harmonious fusion of education and animation. I seek to enrich students’ artistic development while shaping the animation and storytelling landscape. 

“Nurturing the next generation of creative minds is a responsibility and a privilege.”

Hoda Ramy

Could you share some of your most significant accomplishments or projects with me?

I had the privilege of collaborating with many talented artists, and one standout project was the “Nobel Planta” documentary, which was featured in The New Yorker Documentary. This endeavor was a captivating fusion of live and animated footage depicting the lives of an elderly couple running a plant shop. Working as a 2D animator alongside Amanda Bonaiuto, a distinguished indie animation director in the U.S., was an absolute dream and a significant milestone for me, especially as I was new to the vibrant New York art scene.

Following this, Hamid Rahmanian approached me to contribute as an animator for his Puppet Shadow Theatrical Performance, “Song of the North.” This innovative project, blending dance, shadow puppetry, and animation, presented a formidable challenge. I animated over 180 backgrounds (80 minutes) for the show, which premiered in Paris and continues to captivate audiences. The show went to the Chicago Puppet Festival in January 2024, creating much buzz.

Campaign for New York’s Future was another fantastic opportunity for me. Collaborating with other talented animation and illustration artists, we contributed to Futures NYC, an initiative using art and design to envision a city anchored in care, compassion, dignity, and power for all New Yorkers. My three distinct animations addressing housing, public health, and community building were well-received and featured alongside other artists’ visions in the campaign.

More recently, I had the pleasure of directing the official music video for Säje Voices’ Grammy-winning track, “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.” This labor of love, fusing my creativity and passion for music and animation, premiered on Forbes.com. It is truly humbling to have my project showcased on such a prestigious platform, marking another milestone in my artistic journey.

NAVIGATING THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN TODAY’S ANIMATION INDUSTRY

What are some of the current challenges in the animation industry, and how do you navigate or address them in your work?

The animation industry is highly competitive, with entry proving challenging. However, a significant issue lies in its tendency to conform to prevailing trends, resulting in a lack of diversity and stifling originality. Many artists struggle financially, forcing them to seek employment in corporate settings or related fields. In contrast, I’ve embraced being an independent artist and teacher. This decision allows me to contribute to the creative community while maintaining authenticity in my work and ensuring financial stability.

What trends or advancements do you find particularly exciting or impactful for the future of animation?

Animation’s expanding role beyond traditional entertainment opens up new opportunities in various sectors. This shift benefits the animation industry and enhances art education overall. I’m particularly excited about animation’s broader application, extending into areas like marketing and product enhancement. Its versatility as a communication tool is a game-changer, providing artists with new avenues for creativity and innovation.

What are your future goals/dreams?

Looking ahead, my aspirations are grounded in a passionate pursuit— I aspire to become a full-time filmmaker dedicated exclusively to producing animated content. While I recognize this may seem ambitious, my heart lies in the art of animation. I am keen on channeling all my creative energies into bringing captivating stories to life through this dynamic medium. Behind this goal lies a reservoir of untold stories that I am eager to share, and I am committed to navigating the challenges ahead to realize this dream.

Any advice for aspiring animators?

For aspiring animators, my advice is simple yet profound— work diligently and then push yourself to work even harder. Dive deep into the world of animation by watching and studying extensively. Allow yourself to be immersed in the craft. When it comes to getting started, don’t hold back. Let your creative energy flow freely. While some ideas may initially seem daunting or unattainable, don’t be afraid – just go for it. Embrace the challenges, learn from them, and persist in your creative journey. Remember, the more you invest in your passion, the more it will flourish.

***

You can check out Hoda’s work on her website: https://www.hodaramy.com/ 

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hodaramy/

Or follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hodaillustrations/ 

The post Iranian Artist Hoda Ramy on Liberating Herself from Self-Censorship appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

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Amid the live-streaming revolution during the Covid-19 pandemic, art curator & entrepreneur Marina Dojchinov is presenting The Zero Experiment – an interactive, virtual gallery experience. Every Thursday, viewers will be able to attend a virtual gallery opening via video conferencing platform Zoom and talk to the featured artist. The art pieces will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to a different charity each week. This Thursday, April 16, the first artist to present his work is Pierre Fraiture and the money raised will go to Broadway Bound Kids, a performing arts education organization based in Manhattan that was affected by the virus. 

We caught up with Marina about the project, her career, and life during the coronavirus.

How did you decide to start this project? 

The Zero Experiment actually started last year. I wanted to create a roaming gallery concept, with a speakeasy vibe so I gathered influencers for a dinner party and showcased two amazing artists: Kenna Kendig and Udo Spreitzenbarth. The concept slowly evolved and when this epidemic hit, I wanted to find a way to keep the art community connected. Since the lockdown, many of my friends in the art world are struggling to keep afloat and don’t know where their next meal is coming from. I found a way to connect artists and keep the tradition of Thursday night openings in a fully immersive & virtual way. I added the “human touch” to an otherwise bland online experience by allowing the artists and audience to interact with each other and ask questions.

I also wanted to support charities and businesses that are losing income and struggling to stay afloat. I am encouraging the artists to choose a charity they like each week. So far I am proud to say we are helping a performing arts education organization Broadway Bound Kids and LGBTQIA homeless non-profit New Alternatives. 

I love the feeling of giving back to the community and this is my way of saying–stay positive, we got this!  

How and why did you decide to have Pierre Fraiture as the first artist for this Thursday?

I met Pierre six months ago at his studio in Tribeca and his work really spoke to me. I believe the charity and community aspects are a great fit for Pierre’s mission. I thought it would be a great way to introduce people to our brand and showcase the level of talent all our artists bring to the table. We want to show potential participants that no matter a crisis, art is needed in our lives. 

You were born in Croatia and grew up in Australia. Tell me more about yourself. 

I’ve been entrepreneurial since I was a child. Having grown up in so many different countries, my world view has constantly evolved. I started my career as a fashion editor while studying to get a double degree in Law & Journalism. My work as a fashion journalist took me all over the world–from Australia to London, Spain, and finally, New York, where I was the editor of Promo Magazine. 

What inspired you to move to NYC? Is it your favorite city in the world? 

New York has always been a dream of mine. I remember being 6 years old growing up in the small town of Alice Springs, in the Australian outback, having a poster of New York on my wall. I would tell anyone who would listen that I would one day live there and be a fashion editor. I made that dream come true and as soon as I touched down in New York, I knew I was home. I love the culture, the people and the fact that you can be whoever you want here. You can evolve and change and NYC embraces that. When I made the jump from fashion to art, I found I had great support from friends here, many of whom have since become like family. 

Can you describe the moment when you discovered your passion for art and decided to make it your full-time job?

I’ve been enamored by art my entire life. The moment I realized I wanted to make the switch from fashion was after I curated a charity auction with multiple artists and performers. Six months later the opportunity presented itself to open a brick and mortar gallery in Manhattan. I decided to take a leap of faith and opened 3Squared Gallery in Chelsea. I curated all the shows, and the gallery was a launching pad for many artists here in the U.S. I can’t see myself doing anything else! 

Since then I have guest lectured about art philosophy and turning art into a business at many universities, including at Parsons School of Design and Columbia. 

I took everything I knew and put it into practice in The Zero Experiment. Combining my love for charity (I sit on the board of numerous charities here in NY), I wanted to create a community of creatives who are making a difference in the world.

What has been your biggest challenge so far living in the U.S.? 

Being so far away from my family who are still in Australia. I miss my parents and my brother a lot. We try and see each other as much as possible, but often holidays are spent over FaceTime. That has been my biggest challenge so far. 

We are living in a difficult time right now, how are you feeling? How has coronavirus affected you and your job personally?

Honestly, I am feeling optimistic because, at the end of the day, everything as we know it will change and better things are yet to come. This is the best time to be an entrepreneur because you can really make a difference in the world by helping the community and finding unique and innovative ways to cope with the constantly changing environment. 

What are you up to during these self-isolation days? Have you found any new daily pleasures or rediscovered old hobbies? 

The best part of this is having reconnected with a lot of old friends, all over the world. I am getting phone calls from people I haven’t spoken to for 2 years, just calling to say hi. We are all in this together, it has brought us closer as people. 

I have also rekindled my passion for painting and I enjoy drinking coffee and playing with my two cats.

Any words of encouragement to other artists and entrepreneurs who might be struggling right now?

Create! The time is now more crucial for all of us: artists, musicians and everyone in between. It’s a new beginning so let your voices be heard! Also never give up and never take no for an answer. If you really believe in something, don’t let anyone disparage you. And finally, things will get better, so keep your chin up! 

What’s your ultimate dream/goal? 

To build a world empire, of course!

The post Bored in the House? Attend a Virtual Art Gallery Opening appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

“Why have there been no great women artists?” asked the slogan T-shirt that opened Maria Grazia Chiuri’s spring 2018 show for Dior.

The sentence was the  title of the 1971 essay by art historian Linda Nochlin that explored obstacles that have prevented women from succeeding in the art world. Many of these hurdles still exist, but women artists couldn’t be more influential than they are now.

Who are these 11 women artists that Dior has commissioned? Let’s take a look:

1. Mickalene Thomas is a contemporary African-American visual artist best known as a painter of complex works using rhinestones, acrylic and enamel. Her work draws from Western art history, pop art and visual culture to examine ideas around femininity, beauty, race, sexuality and gender.

2. Pae White is an American artist, who creates large-scale, mixed-media installations concerned with shifting associations of familiar objects. She currently lives and works in LA.

3. Polly Apfelbaum is an American artist primarily known for her colorful drawings, sculptures, and fabric floor pieces, which she refers to as “fallen paintings.” She’s currently based in NYC.

4. Lee Bul is a Korean contemporary sculpture and installation artist who appeared on the art scene in the late 1980s. Her work questions patriarchal authority and the marginalization of women by revealing ideologies that permeate our cultural and political spheres.

5. Haruka Kojin is a Hiroshima-born artist, who completed her Master’s degree at the Department of Inter Media art at Tokyo University of the Arts. Her works explore the distortion of reality through changing the experience of the space with elements of different shapes, sizes and colors.

6. Morgane Tschiember is a French artist, based in Paris. She has directed her work from two- to three-dimensional pieces, in order to explore the transitions between dimensions, and how they relate to each other.

7. Li Shurui has been hailed as a leading emerging female Chinese artist by The New York Times and International Herald Tribune and is one of the few women to hold solo shows in China’s commercial art galleries. She is exploring in a wide range of media the relationship between space and light, with painting and installation.

8. Janaina Tschape is a German artist, throughout her twenty-plus year career Tschäpe’s multidisciplinary body of work has encompassed painting, drawing, photography, video and sculpture.In her practice, Tschäpe often incorporates themes of aquatic, plant and human life to suggest dreamlike, abstract landscapes that blur perceptions of illusion and reality.

9. Isabelle Cornaro is a French artist. Her work employs painting, sculpture, installation, and film in her quest to challenge the way viewers perceive art objects. Her multimedia works orchestrate careful juxtapositions that pay tribute to and reinvent traditional modes of representation.

10. Burcak Bingol is a Turkish artist, currently based in Istanbul. Her works explore notions of belonging, cultural heritage, identity, decoration and failure by blurring the boundaries between these seemingly distinct notions.

11. Olga de Amaral is a Colombian visual artist known for her large-scale abstract works made with fibers and covered in gold and or silver leaf. Amaral’s work is deeply driven by her exploration of Colombian culture and her own identity. Architecture, mathematics, landscape, and socio-cultural dichotomies in Colombia are woven together through the use of fiber.

The post Who are the 11 Female Artists Collaborating with Dior at Art Basel Miami? appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

I always resented contemporary art. I thought it didn’t qualify as “real” art. I dismissed the abstract as something that “artists” made up out of boredom or desperation to be creative. Yet it seemed like the whole world claimed such things were supposed to be extremely evocative.

I never understood the appeal of immersive experiences either. Not until I began going out to techno events and was confronted by the overpowering combination of experimental sound at overbearing decibels and dizzying patterns of intrusive lights that  had a way of possessing my body, my senses and my mind in a way that I soon came to crave and worship.

Techno was definitely evocative, and admittedly, it was definitely art. So my notions of what art was and could be radically shifted. Anything was possible, I guessed. I wanted to have an open mind.

I took myself to the Atelier des Lumières in Paris. It was said to be a mecca of stimulative, immersive installations. I got there early. Inside was a dark, rectangular halle. It was made entirely of cement, like a bunker. There was no place to sit. It was cold and still like a tomb, and the darkness began to feel like a physical force pressing against me.  I sat on the ground. Without warning, a high pitch screeched on the speakers. The show began. Thin white blades of light zipped across the room like swords from one end to the other. They morphed into broken geometric patterns flitting about the walls. The noise grew uncomfortably loud, suddenly going quiet with the onset of a drum. The room went dark. Then–projections of distorted white shapes exploded on the ground, on top of me, on every wall. They shifted rhythmically with the drum beat. Then going dark. Then getting bright. One beam of light swooped across the bunker, dissipating the shapes. Flashes and sounds continued for 10-15 minutes. My head spun; my vision blurred.

I forgot where I was. I forgot I was sitting. I felt as drained from awe as I am each morning after a night at a techno event. I felt that same feeling as when I dance in the dark, forgetting which way is up or down, left or right, where neither time nor space matter but tumbling, tumbling in the thrilling tumult of the world being breathed into life before me.

The five-minute light show felt like a lifetime because of its assault on my senses: I was sucked into another universe, where concepts like time and space didn’t exist.

The medium is the message. The nearly tangible blackness of the halle granted the illusion of infinite space. As shapes and sounds bent out of order, so, too, did my notions of reality. I felt like I was falling and floating in place. As my eyes darted across the room, never landing on the same pattern twice, I felt I had traversed hundreds of galaxies, hundreds of dimensions. The exhilarating journey fostered in me doubt–and hope–that a world like this could exist.

Since then, I tend to seek out contemporary art even more than traditional art because interactive experience holds a commanding grip of the senses like paint on canvas cannot.

The post Techno Music Led Me to Modern Art appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

The first weekend of May, thousands flocked to a massive, white enclosed tent on Randall’s Island to visit one of the largest art exhibits of the year: Frieze New York.

Holding two Guinness World Records for size and this year—home to over 190 galleries from 30 countries—Frieze’s international three-day art fair has, once more, proven to be the premiere art fair.

Visitors had the option to either arrive by ferry—a scenic 30-minute ride along the East River—or via ground transport. There were spacious, grassy grounds, and the looming tent itself, featuring galleries, talks, live performances, and even restaurants.

The entire presentation was divided into smaller clusters of galleries. Though each day drew thousands of visitors, it did not feel crowded because of how large the tent was. There was time and space to examine each artwork individually. Gallery representatives stood amidst each exhibit, ready to answer any questions and sell. Visitors were given a chance to learn much more about their favorite art pieces than they would have been able to in a regular museum.

“Frieze New York offers the opportunity to encounter an exceptional quality and range of artwork, featuring the world’s most exciting emerging talents together with iconic names in modern and contemporary art,” Frieze.com reads. “Independent curators have specially advised on sections Frame and Spotlight to encourage discovery and connoisseurship.”

Each section had drink and food vendors, as well as seating for maximum comfort. There was no time limit on how long to spend at the exhibit, so visitors could spend all day eating, relaxing, and taking in art. For those feeling fancy, even champagne was available for purchase. Frieze also featured a Reading Room, where visitors could buy a curated selection of arts and culture publications.

Art varied from surrealist paintings to contemporary photographs to mixed-media pieces.

Galleries are required to apply each year in order to be selected to participate. The selection is determined by a committee of gallerists. The fair gives three awards recognizing the best presentations each year. The Frame Prize and two Frieze Stand Prizes.

This year, The Mumbai-based gallery Jhaveri Contemporary and Nuno Centeno from Porto, Portugal, have won the Frieze Stand Prize and Focus Prize respectively for their presentations at Frieze New York. Each gallery receives $7,500. The Frame prize, for emerging galleries, was awarded to Toronto’s Cooper Cole Gallery, who showed the work of Tau Lewis.

Representatives of each gallery fly from all over the world yearly just for Frieze. To name a few, participating gallery locations this year included Hong Kong, Cape Town and Mumbai. Frieze is not the only destination for art galleries, however. One gallery, Massimo de Carlo of Italy, revealed it participates in up to 10 shows a year, successfully making sales at each.

Frieze New York was a refreshing blend of formal and casual, educational and self-explanatory. People of all ages and incomes attend, whether they are there to merely observe or to purchase. The art fair offers all a chance to admire some of the highest-quality art in the world.

The post Looking Back at Frieze New York 2018: The Hit of the Year, Again appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Neon will never die in Gods [sic.] Own Junkyard. More wonderland than warehouse, gigantic disco balls hang between numerous clever and downright saucy signs that offer a glimpse into a collection that began over 50 years ago with a man named Dick Bracey.

The lights first fired up in 1958 behind the doors of Electro Signs, a business specializing in fairground and circus lettering. It was not long until Dick’s son, the late Chris Bracey, joined his father’s fluorescent line of work – clearly, neon flows through Bracey blood.

In the early 70s, [Chris] Bracey was after something more – carnivals were not the neon pinnacle. So he got his foot in the door of a very different, but no less riské scene – the heart of Soho. His clientele, including the infamous Kray brothers, were now as red lit as the signs themselves but it was only a matter of time before Bracey would seek to push the envelope further.

In 1998, American light artist, Bruce Nauman, was exhibiting at the Hayward Gallery on London’s Southbank. Neon featured heavily and Bracey realized the potential of neon to illuminate more than just sex in Soho. He began to salvage and restore film signs and experiment with materials such as gold leaf and radioactive krypton gas. The result was “Sodom and Gomorrah mixed with art” and the world could not get enough.

The works are available for hire and purchase although Bracey was renowned for once turning down a £30,000 offer for his “God Save the Queen” – each piece of artwork is a new love that he would have rather kept. While the price tag may be more than a little steep for the average punter, you can offer up your own things for a customized neon resurrection. Anything goes – from smashed car doors to wheelbarrows. Delightfully, neon has no limit.

Sadly, Chris Bracey passed away due to prostate cancer in 2014. His glowing legacy, however, carried forward by his wife, Linda, and two of his three sons, Matthew and Marcus, shines on.

This year is the third time that Gods Own Junkyard has returned to where it all began – the Soho Streets, the very soul of neon. The kick ass collection, in collaboration with art gallery, Lights of Soho, is called ‘Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.’ Adding depth to the usual commercial festive displays, the exhibition pieces are a vivid finger to the dystopia of 2016.

Need to know

Exhibition: ‘Always Look On the Bright Side Of Life’: Lights of Soho, 35 Brewer Street, London

• Until January 23rd, 2017
• Opening Hours: 10am-6pm for public; after 6pm members’ only

Gods Own Junkyard: Unit 12, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street, London E17 9HQ

• Opening Hours: Friday & Saturday 11am-9pm, Sunday 11am-6pm
• Grab a bite to eat at The Rolling Scones Café found within the enclave

If you would like to make a donation to Prostate Cancer UK on behalf of Chris Bracey, you can do so here.

All photos are courtesy of Gods Own Junkyard

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This Christmas, The Skateroom’s creatives have unveiled gifts for art lovers, a selection of limited edition works by renowned artists such as Andy Warhol or Ai WeiWei. Ranging from entry-level prices at just €160, to hand signed collectors’ items and exclusive collaborations at €4,850, there’s a deck for every art aficionado.

The Skateroom is an active and expanding social entrepreneurship whose main purpose is to help affect change, and, one such NGO is Skateistan.

Skateistan believes that the community-building effects of skateboarding are especially powerful in Afghanistan, which has experienced over 30 years of ongoing conflict and social dislocation. Operating as an Afghan NGO, Skateistan builds trust among youth and develops their confidence, leadership, and life skills.

Just one year ago, Skateistan launched a new initiative, Citizens of Skateistan. The international community of supporters, skaters, students and staff, united together to support skateboarding and education around the world. CoS is a platform designed for a growing global community, the stories of staff and students from the lands of skate in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and South Africa. Many of the staff members started as students, and have gone through Skateistan’s programs or have become Youth Leaders and are now Educators, who the new students look up to.

Around 1600 youths go to Skateistan each week, here are the stories of the Educators and Citizens of Skateistan. 

Edited by Demi Vitkute

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Celebrate Shakespeare at the National Theatre with a free app for iPad and iPhone – now available to download.

2016 seems to be the year of every British literary anniversary, including the 400^th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. So it is with joy that we welcome the latest tool for sharing the stories, secrets and innovations of the Bard.

Designed and expertly curated by the National Theatre, the free app allows users to access an incredible archive of Shakespearean works via a modern channel.

After 55 main-house Shakespeare productions, the NT has cast the likes of Peter O’Toole, Sam Mendes, Maggie Smith and Derek Jacobi, remaining true to the roots and ideals that emanate from Shakespeare’s lines.

The app is packed with videos, production photographs, costume and set designs, annotated scripts and more. It gives a unique glimpse behind the scenes of the NT and demonstrates Shakespeare’s continuing relevance to the modern stage.

The National Theatre Shakespeare app is supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The NT is part of the Shakespeare400 partnership coordinated by King’s College London.

Edited by Sarah Huntington

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Whether you’re a New York native or a first time visitor, without denial— the MET is the museum to visit in NYC.

Spanning two floors, The Metropolitan Museum of Art boasts well over 300 rooms and houses with some of the finest works of art the world has to offer. Priceless paintings, drawings and sculptures can be found within the countless exhibitions, while the beautifully curated galleries arguably outshine those of many other monumental museums. At the MET, the curation of the art is an art form in itself. Pieces are displayed together in ways that emphasize either a contrast or a striking similarity. Even the colors of the gallery walls have been chosen to bring out the best in each and every painting.

Yet there is much more to the MET than merely paintings. Lesser known, but no less breath-taking, are its furniture collections.  In European Sculpture and Decorative Arts (Room 507) a Venetian bedroom is brought to life, complete with a bed, desk, side tables, lounge chair and a vanity mirror. The ceiling swarms with cherubs carved into the crown moulding and two beautifully painted murals. Moving through the centuries and continents, the British Interiors exhibits, brightly colored in golden yellows and lavish blues, are truly a sight to see for anyone who enjoys interior design or architecture. Returning to home soil, the American House (located off of the Room 700 courtyard) is a great place to find authentic American furniture pieces, many hailing from New York City itself. On the second floor of the American house, you can find a quirky collection of paintings, sculpture and pottery— items currently independent of any specific exhibit. Such a collection is perfect for guests without much time on their hands, showcasing the vast scope of the MET’s repertoire in a single location.

The MET also offers an extensive collection of Asian art, including a 14-foot-tall statue of Bodhisattva. The star of the collection, however, is the Zen garden (Room 217). Complete with koi fish pond, the Chinese Garden Court boasts an open skylight roof, Asian flora, a small temple and a covered walkway. The garden especially shines when visiting the MET after dark. In the moonlight, the tranquillity of the garden with its dribbling koi pond is extremely relaxing, perhaps even therapeutic.

The most extensive and famous parts of the MET include the American and European paintings sections. In European Paintings on the second floor, Gallery 635 is a must see, especially for those with a penchant for Gothic art. The paintings featured in this gallery are wonderfully eerie, with dark canvasses and bright, almost luminous, subjects. Paintings featured in this exhibit include Vanitas Still Life by Jacob de Gheyn II, as well as Gamepiece with a Dead Heron by Jan Weenix. Further on from the Gothic, Gallery 821 marks the start of the Impressionist movement and includes works by the likes of Monet, Manet and Degas amongst many other amazing artists.

In the American Art exhibit, the top two Galleries to see are 760 and 767. Walking into Gallery 760, the first thing you will see is the extremely large painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware, measuring up at an impressive 149 x 255 inches. While many people may visit the room for this painting alone, the real treasures are the enormous landscape paintings that cover the rest of the walls. The painstaking details in these works are simply magnificent, causing them to look more like photographs than paintings. The gallery also includes The Valley of Wyoming by Jasper Francis Cropsey, as well as a beautiful portrait of The Aegean Sea by Frederic Edwin Church.

The MET also has galleries away from its permanent 5th Avenue address, including the Met Breuer, which features modern and contemporary art, and the MET Cloisters. Situated on the edge of New York City, the Cloisters specialises in medieval art such as the Hunt of the Unicorn, as well as tapestries and other exquisite items from ancient French monasteries. As half of the exhibits are outside, exposed to the open air, a visit to the Cloisters makes for an excellent day-trip, or simply a means of escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.

New York City continues to be one of the biggest art hubs in the world, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art at its centre.

Edited by Sophie Walker & Demi Vitkute

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Lora Zombie is a force of nature. Her signature grunge aesthetic, bright colors and penchant for unicorns culminate in effervescent works that both delight and challenge contemporary perspectives of society and the world.

The self-taught artist (born in 1990 Voronezh, Russia) burst into the urban art scene through fan art forums, social media and artistic platform, DeviantArt, in the late 2000s. Intrigued by the interaction between music and art, as well as nature, cartoons, and the creative talent behind famed band Gorillaz, Jamie Hewlett and The Zombie Flesh Eaters (the inspiration behind her surname, her true identity being top secret), Lora describes her creative process as a chaotic energy akin to being surrounded by music.

Ever-creative, Lora works closely with Eyes On Walls and is constantly involved in different collaborations (Lollapalooza Berlin, Urban Nation, Warner Bros and Blackmilk Clothing to name a few) while working on limited edition pieces for her own brand, Hero Time which launched in July, 2015. In a world of Brexit and the Trump-ocalypse, Lora is a well-needed breath of fresh air, with a splash of unicorns for good measure.

We spoke to Lora about her upcoming London show (12 November, 2016), True Colors, which will exhibit 50+ new paintings and is free to attend – a testament to her desire that her work remain accessible and available to everyone.

In a world of Brexit and the Trump-ocalypse, Lora is a well-needed breath of fresh air, with a splash of unicorns for good measure.

Bold, whimsical colors are a theme in your art, why did you decide to name this particular show True Colors?

Everybody shows their true color, whether it is infinite kindness or all consuming ego, that is what the world is about today. These colors come from within us.

Which piece in True Colors most represents your inspiration right now?

“Fragile World” and “Easy Mind Floating Soul.” I feel so free and happy but I know how fragile the world is, I need to look after it.

What is the one thing in your studio that you cannot live without?

Pencil 0.7mm

If you could paint with just three colors (without mixing to make new ones) for the rest of your life, which three would you pick and why?

White, baby blue and pink. They make everything feel like cotton candy.

What does the color blue mean to you?

I just love it.

How many hours per week do you spend painting?

I am constantly painting or creating inside my head. When I travel, I draw in a sketchbook.

Why do you paint unicorns?

I love them. That’s the main reason I do anything. I love it.

Why the pill motif?

More vitamins.

What is the biggest disaster that has happened in your life and how did you overcome it?

No disasters in my life. I thank the universe for this, and for the tests and experience it gives me.

What do you love most in the world?

Nature

True Colors attendees will have the opportunity to meet Lora and purchase her limited edition prints with gift bags, free with any purchase, going to the first to arrive. In the days following her exhibition, Lora will be turning the streets of London awash with her bubbly painting in the days following her exhibition. Keep an eye on her Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for details.

True Colors details

Saturday 12^th November, 7-10pm; @ Arch 6, Crucifix Lane, London Bridge, SE1 3JW. Free entry.

Any remaining limited edition prints will be available to purchase at Eyesonwalls.com once the show has concluded.

All images used are courtesy of Lora Zombie 

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