Treasures of Asia

Images from personal collection

Asia. You will be always on a treasure hunt here. There is so much to see, to feel, to explore. Endless amounts of sights, sounds and smells. Some overwhelm, some intoxicate you, touch you, hunt you, some please you and some leave you with a great learning experience. With a very strong cultural history, this entire continent is always blooming into a new world. Home to the most populous countries, the fastest growing economies at this point, it’s also got its roots deep in all the art forms. China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, SriLanka, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Nepal, Korea, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand and numerous other exciting places…one can see a very strong exchange in architecture, paintings, food, embroideries, carvings, and sculptures. All the Asian countries unique in their own way are also bound by a common cultural concept. Masks from SriLanka and Indonesia, puppets from India, Thailand, Indonesia, silks from India and Thailand, batiks from India and Indonesia, hand block prints from India, intricate lace cottage industry of Srilanka. Tibetan, Burmese embroideries, Stone and metal sculptures of Buddha and ganesha in Nepal, India, Srilanka, Thailand and Indonesia. One can see different interpretations of Ramayana through paintings, dance, and drama in India, srilanka, Thailand, and Indonesia. The delicately carved gold ornaments from java and south India…the treasures are endless.

Inspiration is all around you. With such a rich heritage of arts and crafts there are some of us who constantly improve and innovate to create designs to inspire and wow us in the modern world. My aim through this blog is to appreciate the arts and designs of the past and the future. To explore the beginnings and the boundaries…. if imagination had any boundaries. To find and appreciate the work of people who are doing this continuously. Who continue to get inspired, preserve and pass on the old techniques and the design heritage. This is a little tribute for those who stride easily between tradition and modernity to bring us these wonders to brighten up our homes and our lives.