Happy 97th birthday to the incomparable Yayoi Kusama, born #OTD 22 March 1929! Amongst her massive catalog of works are some cool animals, including lots of butterflies...
Papillon (I), 2000
Screenprint, 38 × 45.5 cm
https://artsy.net/artwork/yayoi-kusama-papillon-i
A contemporary artist for today’s art post: by Njideka Akunyili Crosby (born 1983), “Dwell: Me, We,” 2017, acrylic, transfers, colored pencil, charcoal, and collage on paper, 96 x 124 inches, ©️ Njideka Akunyili Crosby. She is represented by the David Zwirner art gallery. #womanartist #womenartists #africanart #AfricaArt
From her website, which I will share as a comment: “Drawing on art historical, political and personal references, Njideka Akunyili Crosby creates densely layered figurative compositions that, precise in style, nonetheless conjure the complexity of contemporary experience. Akunyili Crosby was born in Nigeria, where she lived until the age of sixteen. In 1999 she moved to the United States, where she has remained since that time. Her cultural identity combines strong attachments to the country of her birth and to her adopted home, a hybrid identity that is reflected in her work.
On initial impression her work appears to focus on interiors or apparently everyday scenes and social gatherings. Many of Akunyili Crosby's images feature figures - images of family and friends - in scenarios derived from familiar domestic experiences: eating, drinking, watching TV. Rarely do they meet the viewer's gaze but seem bound up in moments of intimacy or reflection that are left open to interpretation. Ambiguities of narrative and gesture are underscored by a second wave of imagery, only truly discernible close-up. Vibrantly patterned photo-collage areas are created from images derived from Nigerian pop culture and politics, including pictures of pop stars, models and celebrities, as well as lawyers in white wigs and military dictators. Some of these images are from the artist's archive of personal snapshots, magazines and advertisements, while others are sourced from the internet. These elements present a compelling visual metaphor for the layers of personal memory and cultural history that inform and heighten the experience of the present.”
Art Saturday
Three more circles
Ink, watercolour, salt, gel pen
(2 more in progress from this afternoon)
#transartist
#abstractart
#mixedmediaart
#artistsofmastodon
#fediart
#fediartists
#womenartists
#adhdartist
#arttherapy
#queerartist
"Flower Still Life," Rachel Ruysch, c. 1716-20.
Here's our old friend Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) with another one of her lovely floral still lifes.
The flowers here include poppies, roses, carnations, and I think I see some tulips as well. There's a bee, a moth, and a caterpillar visible as well, and maybe a few other small creatures. Some of the flowers are drooping, and some leaves are brown and have been nibble on by insects.
Ruysch, the daughter of a scientist, depicted flowers and insects with great precision and detail. There's a lot of realism in the individual flowers, but the overall painting is not realistic, as these flowers would not be in bloom at the same time!
I won't go on about her life, having talked about her before, but she had a long and successful career and achieved greater fame and wealth than many other painters of her time, and even today she is regarded as one of the greatest and most talented still life artists of any sex, of any era. All hail Rachel Ruysch!
Happy Flower Friday!
From the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH.
#Art #RachelRuysch #DutchGoldenAge #FlowerFriday #StillLife #Floral #AllTimeGreatPainters #WomenArtists #ILoveYouRachelRuysch
#WomensHistory #Herstory
Your art history post for today: by Olga Costa (1913-1993), The Fruit Seller (La vendedora de frutas), 1951, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City. #WomensHistoryMonth #womenartists #womanartist #mexicanartist #mexicanartists
From Inverarte Art Gallery: ‘Born as Olga Kostakowsky in Leipzig, Germany, on August 28, 1913, Olga Costa arrived in Mexico in 1925, when she was just twelve years old. Her family, of Jewish-Russian origin, was seeking a place to rebuild their lives, far from the growing winds of intolerance sweeping across Europe. Mexico, with its light, colors, and traditions, offered young Olga a fertile ground where she could plant her roots and nurture her art.
Her European childhood became a distant memory. It was in Mexico where she truly came of age, not only as a person but also as an artist, eventually changing her name to Olga Costa. The vibrancy of the markets, the popular life, the pre-Hispanic art, and traditional crafts all captured her imagination with a force that never left her…
Costa dedicated herself to building a body of work marked by profound originality. Her paintings are notable for their exaltation of color, formal synthesis, and a loving gaze toward Mexican popular life. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Costa was not drawn to grand political themes or heroic tales of the Revolution. Her universe was different: that of flowers, fruits, anonymous women, and domestic altars. Her first solo exhibition took place at the Galería de Arte Mexicano in 1945. Her most celebrated painting, La vendedora de frutas (1951), considered an icon of modern Mexican art, was commissioned by the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL) for the exhibition “Art mexicain du précolombien à nos jours” at the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, and is now part of the collection of the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City.’
By Uche Uguru (born 1993), Queen African Series 6, collage on canvas, 100x80cm, 2025, ©️ Uche Uguru. #womanartist #womenartists #africanartist #africanartists #art
From the artist’s Instagram: ‘The Queen African painting shows a strong and beautiful Nigerian woman. She wears a headwrap, which is a special part of Nigerian traditional clothing. Her face looks straight at the viewer with confidence.
The painting is made from small strips of paper, which creates a sense of movement. You can also see lines on her face that look like scars. In some African cultures, scars were used to identify people. But these scars can also represent the difficult challenges African women face, like emotional pain or environmental problems.
Queen African celebrates the beauty, strength, and resilience of African women. It reminds us that we should support and care for each other, and that together, we can create a better world.
As Adetutu Alabi says, "You can be anything you want to be.
Don't let your scars hold you back.”’
The artist’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ucheuguru/
Finished today
Theme for Thursday is: mmmmmm 🤔 are they kintsugi (inspired) plates, or kintsugi (inspired) planets? (Like if yr planet was blown up by a vogon constructor fleet and you had to stick it back together)
#transartist
#abstractart
#mixedmediaart
#artistsofmastodon
#fediart
#fediartists
#womenartists
#adhdartist
#arttherapy
#queerartist
Art outside today
A bit cool, but fine
Seraphina is guarding the iced coffee
#transartist
#abstractart
#mixedmediaart
#artistsofmastodon
#fediart
#fediartists
#womenartists
#adhdartist
#arttherapy
Art History Animalia
Laura G, Sassy 70’s
Lyra
Hotspur🏳️🌈🇺🇦