DzynAsia

Asian Themes

2011-07-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Found these beautiful images on the site of an Interior design company in Singapore. Love the use of Asian elements in the space. Love the Thai umbrella in an otherwise very modern setting and the red and green chest (love, love that green chest! ) in an Asian inspired home.

Barefoot in Sri Lanka

2007-05-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

All images from http://barefootceylon.com/

The moment you say you are visiting Colombo in Srilanka everybody tells you that you should not miss the Barefoot Gallery. Having heard so much about it, even read about it in the in-flight magazine, I decided I have to check out this place soon. So on the very first day of my stay in Srilanka, at 9.00 o’clock in the morning (ahh..women and shopping!!) I found myself standing outside the brightly colored wooden doors of the barefoot gallery in the heart of the Colombo city. And trust me it’s an imaginative and colorful journey once you step inside those doors.

Bright is the color philosophy of Barefoot. Hand dyed, hand-woven, ecofriendly fabrics and textile-based products is what they make. Barbara Sansoni the creative force behind all Barefoot products founded this company of rural weavers 30 years back. The rural womenfolk who through weaving have made themselves economically independent make all these products. Its very easy to recognize a barefoot product be it diaries, books, adorable cloth animal toys, bags, clothing, table linen, cushions etc. The simple geometric patterns and bright colors of the slightly coarse hand-woven cloth set it apart from others. This unique design and philosophy of this company has won them the Super Brand award this year.

The Barefoot store now includes an art gallery, bookshop, café and venue for theatre, music and dance. It has become a hotspot for all the local musicians, artists, actors, musicians and travelers. I was lucky to enjoy the sat live jazz music session in the Barefoot alfresco cafeteria. No wonder that barefoot is a much talked about and a must visit venue in Colombo for locals and foreign visitors.

Images from personal collection.

Dutch Decor in Jakarta

2007-05-25T02:39:00.001-07:00

Image from www.cafebatavia.com

Last week we visited a very old charming Dutch Café, which was built, between 1805 and 1850. It has served as a residence, warehouse, and an office. It was tastefully renovated in the 19th century and turned into a restaurant. The décor is so authentic that it transports you back in history. Imagine yourself sitting among the Dutch merchants and ladies sipping coffee on a calm evening. Hmnn..Very nostalgic.

Every wall of this 2 storey cafe is adorned with photographs of celebrities who have visited this cafe over the years. I always believe that photographs add so much character to any decor.

Even the toilet has photographs of the celebrities.

Dutch merchants first arrived in the ports of Jayakarta (now Jakarta) in 1596 to trade in spices. They soon took over and renamed their headquarters as Batavia. It was the Japanese who changed the name to Jakarta during WW II.

Batavia was a major thriving trade town and prospered in the 17th and 18th century and there were plans to make Batavia the centre of Asian trade from Persia to Japan using Burmese, Madagascan and Chinese laborers. But by the end of 18th century the city became disease ridden and lot of the old buildings were destroyed. Very few old buildings remain one of which is Café Batavia. It is like finding a gem, a quiet spot in the middle of a buzzing, noisy, and heavy traffic zone.

Images from personal collection

A Salty Affair

2007-05-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

Check out these images. Lace? Grandma's doilie's? Take a closer look. They are made by crystalizing salt. Design in daily life as somebody said to me recently. I say, its design for daily use! :-). It is amazing when designers put together creative talents to preserve a handicraft, an age old techinque. Check out the great work done by the Home Project team
http://www.the-home-project.com/

All images from http://www.the-home-project.com/

The Inspiration Store

2007-05-23T02:42:00.000-07:00

Playground is a fun, quirky boutique store in Thonglo, Bangkok, Thailand. It has got book stores, art stores, top end product line, restaurants, cafes, unique interiors, all meant to inspire the young, hip and the urban person. You can notice it from the main road..they have quite a quirky looking huge rabbit standing outside.
Playground divided into 3 floors. The first floor houses the biggest magazine store of Thailand. It has a great collection of Thai and English magazines. And a sizeable music store too. Plus a Starbucks and the Vanilla Industry restaurant.

Second floor is known as the mecca of trends. This is where you will find the biggest design and fashion names from all around the world. You can buy a Jean Paul Gautier umbrella, Lara Bohnic sunglasses and wallets, Dolce and Gabbana. There is also a travel store, stationery story all done up in quirky, amusing ways. There is an art and graphic design bookstore. You can browse through the latest books on graphic design, fashion, photography, illustration, advertising, interiors etc.

The third floor, features many living, kitchen and décor products, all top brands again. It’s definitely worth a dekho. The top floor also has a small section where art exhibitions are put up or the place is given for art and fashion seminars. What an awesome place to discuss art! So browse around, listen to music, check out the exhibitions, get inspired, learn about the newest trends, buy a couple of things if you want, eat at the fusion restaurants on the top level or just laze at Starbucks with coffee…well sounds like a wonderful way to spend the Saturday.

All images from Playground

Modern wonders of lace

2007-05-23T01:12:00.000-07:00

Image from Marcel Wanders

Crochet rug by Patricia Urquiola

Lace …lots of tiny holes and delicate threads being woven into fine, intricate webs of beautiful patterns :-) Since Lace is an ancient art lets talk a bit about its history. The most ancient surviving specimens of lace are pieces of knotted hairnets found in tombs of Thebes and other parts of Egypt dating back to 2500 BC. But true lace only began to be made much later and the popularity of lace did not increase till the 16th century.

There is an interesting history about lace published in the The International Lace magazine. Humans have always been motivated to make clothing more attractive. The ancient Greeks and Romans used flax cloth for their togas and ornamented it with gold or colored threads woven in geometric designs. But as the garment became old, and the edges became worn and frayed, the threads had to be twisted and stitched together. These twisting techniques used in decoration of the frayed edges gave birth to lace making. The birthplaces of lace are generally recognized as Flanders and Italy. From there lace traveled far and wide to all over Europe, Russia, and Asia. There is a theory that lace was also being simultaneously developed in china as some lace had distinctive oriental patterns but it doesn’t have any claims in today’s pattern books or surviving lace.

True lace flourished into a cottage industry throughout Europe only in the 16th century. This art particularly prospered in countries like Belgium, France, Italy, Holland, England, and Spain. It was mostly women who dedicated their time, deft fingers and eyesight to this delicate art. Infact lace makers were in demand as brides as they could bring an additional income to the household.

Another interesting fact is that starch was developed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It then became fashionable to starch lace and use it as a huge ruff around the neck.

The first machine was discovered surprisingly much earlier in 1598. A successful machine was invented by 1810 changing the entire lace making industry.

Till today lace making continues all over the world as a hobby, as cottage industry and also as a big business. And its being reinvented all the time and contributing much to our modern times and decors. I have been watching this trend of lace for quite some time. It’s making its reappearance as starched coasters, cup holders, and linens. The lace patterns are being copied on to on furniture, lampshades, dinnerware, ceramics, wallpaper, decals etc. Its new avatar is so much more fun. Its presence lends such a feminine, playful, romantic, fairy kind of quality to these products. I checked a wonderful swedish blog http://emmas.blogg.se/ where i came across these lace inspired lamps by Charming Unit. Thanks to Holly of decor8 who has posted about emma's blog.

Images from http://emmas.blogg.se/

Check out the wonderful work done by designer Marcel Wanders. Truly inspiring.

Trivial Matters of Mumbai

2007-05-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

Trivial Matters is a blog by a very young Mumbai photographer Akshay Mahajan. Akshay writes about his travels around Mumbai adding life, interest and fascination to Mumbai through his lens and his words. The blog has such lovely photographs, each image weaves a story around itself. And the stories make an interesting read.
Check out his photographs of Yazdani Bakery at Flora Fountain, The Dadar Phool (flower) market, the buzzing Ferry Wharf, Indian pop art, Calcutta Teahouse. These images convince me that amidst all the filth, poverty and chaos there is still beauty and innocence to feel. There is still an adventure and a treasure to hunt for.

Ahh..the humble beginnings of clay before it turned into Art. (Refer to my earlier post)

Source: Images by Akshay Mahajan

Clay + hardwork + inspiration + talent

2007-05-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

These images are for all the clay lovers like me. I always feel some kind of calmness when I touch clay…does anyone out there feels the same? It feels wonderful to touch something so true, so natural. Early humans discovered the useful properties of clay in prehistoric times, and one of the earliest artifacts ever uncovered is a drinking vessel made of sun-dried clay. And till today human hands continue to mould its form, texture and shape till it emerges into such beautiful objects.

Images from Diana Fayt website

These beautiful handmade clay artworks (prefer to call them that instead of objects) are by Diana Fayt who has been selling her work professionally for 13 years. Yes, they are lovely and pricey…I can only dream about owning them. But check out Diana’s blog http://oneblackbird.blogspot.com/ where she explains about the “Sticker shock” reaction that most people suffer on seeing the price tag. She talks about why her work is expensive. Now having taken a hobby course in pottery and making lots of useless, shapeless “objects” and only 1 tiny useful bowl (my “artwork”) I simply have to agree with her. Pottery is a lot of backbreaking work just for one object to emerge successfully. And then to turn them into works of art with such fine detailing...it requires immense amounts of hard work, inspiration and patience.

I don’t know when I will get back to messing with clay but as of now let me just drool on these beautiful artworks :-)

Treasure hunting on Etsy

2007-05-15T00:29:00.000-07:00

Today’s post is an exception. Neither the product nor the designer is Asian but I just couldn’t resist writing about them and showing off the gorgeous products.
"Contrary" is a shop I found on Etsy started by Mary Andrews, a Brooklyn, USA based fine artist. She makes handcrafted jewellary and is a very successful seller on Etsy. I love her quirky and funky sense of design. Check out the small boots earrings…so perfect for a baby shower. You can also check out her blog www.contrarygarden.typepad.com

Images from http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=1751&order=§ion_id=&page=1

The Royal Touch

2007-05-14T03:27:00.000-07:00

Tents were always a part of the royal Indian families. And wherever the royal members camped, overnight a barren piece of land would be completely transformed. with these royal, luxurious tents into temporary royal residences.
Images from Raj Tents, Maharaja Tents, Sangeeta tents

Imagine recreating this royal splendor for a wedding. These marquees are increasingly becoming sophisticated and beautiful with a whole range of beautiful fabrics, hand printed prints, colors and accessories to choose from. Whatever the occasion be it a religious traditional ceremony or hosting a party they add so much warmth and splendor to the occasion. So a traditional wedding, a mystic elegance, an Asian inspired theme, a Bollywood bonanza or the maharaja effect. Whats your theme?

Gaga over Gagatree

2007-05-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

Images from gagatree

Gagatree is the product line started by a team of graphic designers from Singapore. Very graphic, very Asian and very very trendy. Check out their greeting cards. Love the packaging of their cushion covers.

The Friendly Baskets

2007-05-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

Bamboo, cane, rattan …This extremely environment friendly material is my favorite. Whether it’s furniture or its small storage boxes. And don’t you agree it looks very elegant and modern besides adding warmth to your room. I love to use small baskets and boxes around the house made from these dried grasses. I use these in my kitchen to store onions, to group bottles, in the living room to keep TV remotes, magazines.

I spotted these baskets at a local Thai craft Fair in Bangkok, Thailand. Thaicraft is a fair trade organization committed to help Thai artisans maintain their traditional art and craft. And what could be a better way of helping them by using their local artistry and cheap available materials. You can check their website www.thaicraft.org. You can find varieties of cane and bamboo accessories all over Thailand, Indonesia...you can say all over Southeast Asia.

Images from Thaicraft

Pint Sized Piccasso

2007-05-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

These wonderful happy splashes of color are by Dhanat, a 4-year-old Thai artist. Check out his Etsy shop from Thailand http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=54608
These paintings by this talented child are so vibrant that they brightened my day. The colors flow so beautifully into each other…it’s a festival of colors. Check out his interesting profile written by his mother. He has even had a solo exhibition! Out of all my favorite painting is The Tomato Cucumber Salad :-)

The King of Weekend Markets

2007-05-06T05:39:00.000-07:00

Images from personal collection

Throughout my blog I will keep referring to various weekend markets in Asia mainly Thailand and Indonesia. We will start with the undisputed king The Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok, Thailand. It claims to be the worlds largest weekend market, just look at these facts. It covers an area of 35 acres, contains15,000 to 20,000 shops and stalls (nobody really knows how many), has over 200,000 visitors each day, and they spend an estimated total of 30 million baht (approx US$750,000). The range of products on sale is extensive, and includes household accessories, ceramics, furniture, handicrafts, religious artifacts, art, antiques, live animals, books, music, clothes, trendy fashion, shoes, jewellary, food, plants and flowers…hmn think of 15000 stalls!! It’s a good place to search for local crafts. I have lived I in Bangkok for a year and a half but I cannot say I have seen all of it. Think of anything and you have got it there. You want to decorate your house, buy plants, take your guests for a real Thai experience, and want to buy gifts for friend’s back home, head towards chatuchak. And mind you its not one of those comfortable stroll while looking at great things to shop for. An early start at around 8 is highly recommended as after noon there is hardly any space to move. It’s got great local designer as well as export quality stuff to buy. But the most enjoyable is the Thai experience. Food being sold on streets, small vendors displaying and shouting their wares or making odd sounds, as it is typical in Asia. Bargain hard…this place puts your bargaining skills to test. Mingle around and if you like it….then trust me that’s just the beginning of your love affair with Thailand.

Treasures of Asia

2007-05-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

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.