A Universe In The Ocean

Al Fresco

Photo Via Architectural Digest House in Pebble Beach California

Photo via Elle Decor Courtney Cox in Malibu California

Photo via Elle Decor Courtney Cox

Photo Via Elle Decor House in Capetown South Africa

Photo via Elle Decor Southampton Long Island

Photo via AD house in Bodrum Turkey

Photo Via AD Silicon Valley California House

Photo via House Beautiful Farmhouse St Helena California

Photo via Elle Decor Hamptons Long Island

Photo Via Elle decor Cottage in the Bahamas

Photo via Elle Decor Brookhaven Hamlet New York

Photo via Elle Decor Amagansett Hamptons Long Island

Photo via Elle Decor David Adjaye Designed Denver Colorado

Photo Via Elle Decor  House of Rose Anne De Pampelonne Paris France

Photo via AD Robert Zemecki's house in Tuscany

Photo via Elle Decor Kevin Carrigan & Tim Furzer Home Hamptons Long Island

Now that summer is here, wouldn't be lovely to dine Al Fresco in any of these splendid locations. Bliss.

www.elledecor.com

www.architecturaldigest.com

www.housebeautiful.com

LI CHEN THE SOUL GUARDIAN

AERIEL PAGODA I

AERIAL PAGODA II

FIREMASTER

THE THREE BODIES OF BUDDHA

THE PURSUER

CLEAR SOUL

SNOW WONDERLAND

SOUL GUARDIAN

THE GENUINE STATE

LANDSCAPE IN HEAVEN

GOLDEN PALM

ELEVATION

LORD OF WIND

OFFERING

SOARING DRAGON

CAUSAL (soul)

THE ILLUMINATOR

THE ILLUMINATOR CLOSE UP

  "Behind the Beacon is a ceremonial process; its essence lies in “Yinze”—the full or diminishing glory of the sun and the moon. (Li Chen)

One morning I received a call from a dear friend of mine whose taste and creativity I greatly admire, she recounted to me her trip in Paris and all the wonderful art she had seen but especially wanted to share with me in detail something she knew I would love. Buddha statues like she had never seen, her description immediately resonated with me and the googlelista that I am I fell on Buddhas Big Lap. It was love at first sight for me too, Splendid Buddha, big and round like a baby, strong yet soft, heavy yet light,  almost as if Botero and Buddha had baby via Artist Taiwanese Li Chens mind. 

Li Chen's  Spiritual Invocations come from his deep knowledge and experience in Taoist, Buddhist and Classic Chinese Traditions but most of all from his connection to his soul. That is what make these sculptures be different from the rest, they glimmer within. 

Now how can I invoke one of his sculpture in my house?! 

*When night light Glimmers : The Beacon*

In this Series:

The Pursuer, Illuminator, Angelic Smile, Fire Master, The Pavilion, Aerial Pagoda & Soaring Dragon.

"One evening in 2009, Li Chen returned from a busy day at work to his home. He lit a long unused candles on the family Buddhist altar and enjoyed the warmth of the silence, and the experience brought back memories of one of his earlier drawings titled “Illuminator.” This event was the spiritual beginnings of the artist’s current series of work. For the “The Beacon” Series, Li Chen completed just eight pieces in total. For Li lighting the lamp constitutes an act of “recuperation” and brings with it a certain ritualistic joy. Through the interaction of humanity and fire the burning of materials not only changes the environment, but a certain romantic sentimentality dances in the candlelight. As a result, ones state of mind becomes becalmed, providing an opportunity for one to communicate with oneself. “The Beacon” is far richer and more diverse than any of Li’s earlier work. It also marks the first time the artist has sculpted the human form, deliberately showcasing the characteristic of the Asian physical form. This work makes the connection between people and such high places as towers, pavilions, heavenly fire, containing objects that appear distant, but can be compared with Chinese literati’s slow wander.

  "The meaning of the Pursuer’s candle light can be decided by people’s different definition and thought for life. A white cloud twirling around the waist of the figure is evocative of a dream-like illusion, triggering the imagination and lending a surprising touch of humor to the otherwise thought-provoking theme. Such is the wondrous creativity of Li Chen." (Thomas Lee, President of Asia Art Center)

 ******* NEWS***************** ( Lucky Parisians )

LI CHEN EXHIBITION IN PLACE VENDOME PARIS 2 SEPTEMBER-29TH. 2013. 

   Li Chen has accomplished an artistic style that incorporates Eastern philosophy of Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist traditions with contemporary thought, evincing the idea of “Spirit of the East.” His sculptures will be showcased at the center of Paris surrounded by historical buildings. While such arrangement seems to emphasise the contrast between two different cultures, they are alike in terms of providing new possibilities and interpretations for our cumulative civilisation and wisdom in contemporary world. Facilitated by the speed of globalisation and technology nowadays, we can thus expect a profound intellectual dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures occurring at Place Vendome. 

  This exhibition is organised by notable non-profit organization—Global Art Center Foundation (GAC), and Asia Art Center, with full acknowledgement and support from the Vendôme Committee (Comité Vendôme), Ministry of Culture (Ministère de la Culture) and Paris City Council (Conseil municipal). After 18 months of deliberated planning by the curatorial team, which consists of international experts from Paris, Netherlands, Italy and Taipei, the team has successfully overcome various obstacles such as transportation, structural calculation, artwork placement, loading capacity, and weather conditions. in the hope to help Taiwanese artist break free from geographical boundary and to engage in the infinite possibilities of the world. 

  As the economy of the east begins to rise and attract global attentions, Li Chen’s artworks inspired by Eastern culture and traditions will surely bring to light a visual and spiritual feast in the world.

    SOURCES

www.lichensculpture.org

www.asie-antiquites.com

To see more like LI Chen see my previous piece on Dashi Namdakov 

Namibia by Sebastiao Salgado

visionofsplendor.com

A Fine Ride

I am no cyclist, barely know how to ride a bike but I appreciate beautiful design. If I had to ride a bike it would be one of these, my favourite is the Black and Copper Plated Madison Street, so elegant . Wish there was a little more info on the people behind this well crafted line of bicycles.

See Detroit is not all about cars and music. xo

All Images and where to order via,

www.detroitbicyclecompany.com

This is Not A Hippie Bag

 One day a lovely friend of mine walked in carrying an incredibly beautiful piece of work, a handbag with such beautiful fabric and detail that I had to ask her where in the world she found this, from a designer in LA she said, you have to look at her collection you won't know which one to pick. Am not a big handbag person, but am into craftsmanship and unique pieces that have a story.

Fast as flash I looked her up, Simone Harouche a wardrobe stylist had been over the years collecting 19th  dowry textiles, to antique tribal costumes, wall hangings, beading, coins, Afghan bridal jewellery and more from countries such as Nepal, India, Morocco, Peru, Pakistan and Egypt.  With such a exquisite collection she was inspired to create for herself a handbag made out of some of these findings, the bag was so eye catching that a friend saw it and commissioned one for herself and from there the orders started to come in, thus the line Simone Camille was born. 

All the bags are handmade and unique so you will not see anyone wearing the exact same one as you they come in different shapes and sizes, I always stopped when I wear mine, these are not your average Hippie Market bag, more like luxury Bohemian.

Have a look at the Website on where to buy and a huge array of choices, perfect for the summer,

I Just love xo

Photos via ,

www.simonecamille.com

www.c-a-n-o-p-y.tumblr.com

www.sisterhimalaya.tumblr.com

www.earth-age.blogspot.co.uk

Dora Daar

Guido Mocafico

Lampropeltis getula nigrita

Roses

Boiga dendrophila melanota

Nature Morte aux Huîtres

Vipera Wagneri

Audemars Piguet Tourbillon répétition minutes squelette

Dendroaspis viridis

Salmopoeus irminia

Naja nigricollis

Bouquet de tulipes

Vipera aspis

Smith & Wesson 44 magnum

Vipera Ammodytes

Snakes, Guns, Spiders are not my favourite things in the world. Would not want to be at close range with any of these things. Flowers, food and watches on the other hand  are always part of my life. Guido Mocafico does convert my terrified view into one of beauty and awe, nature dangerous as it may be is designed to perfection just as a gun can be admired of its incredible craftsmanship. Not sure if I would hang some of these images in my bedroom but anywhere else the visual impact they make is mesmerizing.

Hypnotic xo

GUIDO MOCAFICO Italian, born in Switzerland in 1962, lives in Switzerland and works in Paris. Guido Mocafico studied Photography at Vevey school in Switzerland. Specialized in still life photography, his most recent images are published in magazines such as Numéro, Numéro Homme, Paradis, V Mag, Vogue US, Vogue France, Men’s Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The Face, Wallpaper He works for major brands such as Gucci, Chanel, Clarins, Shiseido, YSL, Clinique, Dior, Bvlgari, Armani, Hermès. Alongside his commercial and advertising activities, Guido Mocafico has developed a series of long-term personal projects, destined to be published in books and shown as exhibitions.

His work can be found at the following Galleries,

Hamiltons Gallery 13 Carlos place London W1 K 2 EU U.K. T / 020 7499 9493/4 www.hamiltonsgallery.com

BERNHEIMER FINE OLD MASTERS E.K. BU Fine Art Photography Brienner Str. 7 80333 Munich Germany T / +49-89-226672 www.bernheimer.com

All photos sourced via,

www.guidomocafico.com

Picnic Splendor

Photos via Rolls Royce

Photos via Krug

Photos via Bonhams Auction House England

Photos via Bonhams

1957 Ford Carbeque Photos via Top Speed

Martell Trunk made by Pinel

Gorgeous summers days, perfect for a luxurious picnic.

Brazilian Chic

Aline's family home in Jau

Aline de Almeida Prado Atalla was born and brought up in the beautiful area of Jau in the State of Sao Paulo were the land is dotted by emerald green landscapes and Fazenda's (farms and plantation houses)  were they grow coffee(the best ever!), sugar cane and cattle. The land expands as far as they eye can see and at night the sky is a blanket of stars.

With a  fashion degree from Sao Paulo's Marcelina College and IED Instituto Europeo di Design in Milan, design was all ready in Aline's blood. Her career started with interior design and jewellery. This knowledge led her to put all her talents into one place in the creation of this line of handbags named Lane Prall which is a combination of letters taken from her name. Her experience in jewellery inspired the design of her ornamental handles which are made from materials such as resin and metal and are inspired by Art Noveau , Art Deco and Nature. The resin, brand identity, is first sketched by the designer. Then each piece receives special treatment, the wooden moulds are hand carved  and then the resin gain color and brightness through the painstaking work of the goldsmiths

The exotic materials which the bags are composed of come from her knowledge of using them in her interior design work. The company cares about sustainability, and therefore, all materials are free from heavy metals, as well as the exotic skins, that she uses, stingray, alligator and python-are exclusively purchased from farms that comply with rigorous rules management, and sustained, controlled by IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources). Her bags are hand made, one by one, by craftsmen who carefully turn a dream into reality. Aline does not follow trends, and the main goal is to create timeless bags, following her intuition and always looking for the perfect finish and the proportion of its parts. The bags are made to order and can take around 60 days to be produced.

This only a small selection of her beautiful collection, to order or enquiry please email Aline directly on her email alinealprado@gmail.com.

Que Maravilha xo

Images via Aline de Almeida Prado Atalla and landscape pictures of Fazenda Atalla taken by Vision of Splendor.