Art
Keiko Matsui Ceramic Art
February 11, 2013 | Art, Homeware, In The Spotlight | 7 Comments »
Today I’m showcasing the exquisite ceramic art of Keiko Matsui. I was first introduced, and fell in love with her work during a shop tour that I did last year of a lovely Sydney store, Smallspaces. Keiko was born in Japan and moved to Sydney to study ceramics at the National Art School back in 1999 and has since gone from strength to strength, partaking in many exhibitions and most recently her first solo exhibition at the Sturt Gallery.
Keiko’s work radiates the beauty of simplicity with a twist of her mark by scarring the objects. Her latest collection, Contained, some of it shown here, was inspired by the ceramics of the Chinese Song Dynasty era. You can see more of her work from this and previous collections here.
I’d love to know what you think of her work? Do you have a particular favourite? Perhaps it’s the mother in me but while I adore all of her pieces, I am so taken by the first image titled, Mother and Child; on looking at it, I can almost feel the love Keiko has for her child, it’s absolutely beautiful and perhaps a little raw.
While Keiko’s work is held in many private collections around the world, her ceramics are currently for sale only in Australia, I’m sure this won’t last long.
See you all Wednesday!
Mel x
Milano’s Flavour – Trattoria Bagutta
November 16, 2012 | Art, Decorate, Restaurant | 8 Comments »
Today I’m sharing a very special restaurant in Milan, Italy. My husband was in there a couple of months ago and it was just by chance that he ended up in the Trattoria Bagutta, which without his knowing, is a bit of an institution in Milan. Guillaume was absolutely captivated by the place and took a number of photos with his phone to show me.
I adore new restaurants and often find some of them a great source of inspiration for decorating. They can have such a free reign with their interior design, but sometimes you just can’t beat a restaurant with an ambience that’s drenched in history. The Trattoria Bagutta, named after the literary Bagutta Prize, is one such place and it’s been a well-known meeting place for artists and writers since opening in 1924.
While I’m told the dining experience is superb, it’s what they’ve done to the restaurant that struck me; it’s somewhat like a museum with artwork everyone, a lot of it painted directly on to the walls. Can’t you just imagine how it would feel to be sitting in that room, listening to the music of the Italian language around you and enjoying a good meal? I’m feeling nostalgic of my travels through Italy just writing this. Oh the passion!
The restaurant has been in the same family since it opened with proud waiters working there for their entire careers.
If you ever go to Milan, make sure you pop in to Trattoria Bagutta for a truly memorable experience.
You can also read more about the restaurant and its rich history here.
This was Guillaume’s waiter for the evening, a wonderful man who has worked there for thirty years.
Via Bagutta, 14
20121 Milano
Tel. 02.76.00.27.67
Affordable Art
October 3, 2012 | Art, Decorate | 9 Comments »
Decorating your walls with beautiful images and paintings can get quite expensive, but it if you look around, you can find some stunning art at amazing prices. Etsy, always a favourite of mine is a great place to start. Today I’ve found two beautiful, unique works of art that I thought you might like.
The first one is a large original portrait of a woman by what I assume is an unknown artist found for sale in the Gallivanting Girls store. I think it’s a rather haunting painting with a lovely colour palette and can be yours for only 120USD plus postage. Where can you get an original framed work of art for this price? If you’re a fan of vintage decor then you should definitely take a peak in to their store, these girls have seriously good taste and I’m not the only one to say it, they’ve been featured in the likes of N.E.E.T Magazine, Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy, Design Love Fest and Making it Lovely!
My other pick today is this original French vintage advertisement poster from the Forever French store for only 12.95USD plus postage.. Trust the French to make a pasta advertisement look elegant! It would look great amongst an eclectic collage or alone on a small wall. All you would need to do is find a simple inexpensive Ikea style frame.
I hope that you like my finds and perhaps I’ve given you some inspiration to decorate those empty spots on your walls without sending you broke.
See you Friday!
Contemporary Aboriginal Art
June 27, 2012 | Art, Close To My Heart | 9 Comments »
I just love contemporary Aboriginal art! Are you familiar with it?
I find a lot of people imagine the traditional style in earthy colours when they think about Aboriginal art, which doesn’t always work in modern interiors. Actually, a lot of the contemporary pieces are incredibly vibrant and bold in their colours and technique. Take a look …
While purchasing works by the late Minnie Pwerle or Emily Kame Kngwarreye are for serious art collectors, you needn’t spend a huge amount of money to have a gorgeous original piece of art hanging on your wall. A small canvas from the other artists featured here, begins at only AUD330.
When buying Aboriginal art, it’s good to keep in mind that while there are some genuine dealers in the industry, there are also some new players who are only interested in making a profit from Indigenous artists, and have poor knowledge of their culture.
DACOU Gallery is run by Fred Torres, the grandson of the late Minnie Pwerle and son of Barbara Weir, and he’s also a friend of mine! It is Australia’s only Indigenous family owned gallery which represents its own community for nearly 20 years now, and the great thing is that the majority of the artists represented are major stakeholders in the company, which is real a peace of mind. You can visit DACOU’s website here.
The images used here are copyright to DACOU Gallery Australia