Author: Afzal Ibrahim

If one were to just take a look at the photos of Salvador Dali online, you would know immediately this was no ordinary individual.  With his crazy moustache and bizarre quotes, he expressed his opinion constantly, and especially through his artwork. Born in Catalonia, Spain in 1904, he was a true surrealistic artist, drawing often from his own childhood sexual desires, mostly freakish and quite disturbing. Dali always stated that he didn’t do drugs, although many would look at his art and disagree, but Dali claimed he was drugs.   That through his work he could influence many an open mind,…

Paintings are often referred to as windows into another dimension, defined by the purpose for which they were created and the skill of their makers’ hand. The artists of Indian royal courts in Rajasthan and the Punjab hills accessed divinity through their craft, providing objects for the personal devotion technique known as Bhakti. Mystical Beginnings The paintings created between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries in this area are characterized by their brilliant colors and vivid depictions of Hindu epic narratives, as well as magisterial courtly life. They illustrated gods and demons in spiritual battle, fantastical creatures of mysterious origin and…

Street is authentic. Street Art is Super Authentic Some street artists might unapologetically say that street art is the greatest art movement of our time and others could care less what the art community thinks. It’s not for the gallery – it’s for the masses – to entertain, to move, to bring about thought and change. Either way, it likely is the most provocative movement of our time. Whether the art is whimsical, or if it grounds itself in anger, images of the art go viral or are seen offline in person by thousands daily. Its messages of beauty or…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Macabre.  Gruesome.  Cadaverous – These words pretty much sum up the artworks of Tetsuya Ishida. However, so do – Visionary.  Surreal.  Authentic. This late artist was viewed by most native Japanese with disdain, more than likely because he portrayed their lives as they truly were.  And we are referring to the era that Ishida grew up in, being the 70’s and 80’s, as this is what he based his art on. Tetsuya Ishida was born in Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan in 1973 and his art exposes Japanese living to the core, at least that is what critics are saying.  Sadly, Ishida…

When we say “surrealism”, what’s the first name that pops into your mind? It’s probably Salvador Dali. He’s so prominent; his name has become synonymous with the movement. If you’re not thinking of Dali, the name of Rene Magritte probably comes to mind. Despite the fact that surrealism is most often associated with these titans, there are actually some pretty talented female artists that manage to stand out in the male-dominated world movement Let’s have a look at top female surrealists who have established a significant impact in the art world of surrealism Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) has often…