
Overlooked No More, Walasse Ting, Who Bridged Cultures With Paint and Prose
Flickering among the major figures of postwar art — the Minimalist sculptor Dan Flavin, the avant-garde artist Pierre Alechinsky, the abstract painter Sam Francis and others — is the radiant shadow of Walasse Ting.
Ting, a painter and poet from China, introduced Flavin to Japanese ink. He turned Alechinsky on to acrylic paint. Together, he and Francis explored the interplay between Western action painting and Asian brush techniques.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Vogue
3 minutes ago
- Vogue
How One Artist Is Transforming an Ancient Taiwanese Folk Craft
Alemani first encountered Zhang Xu's work last year while on an art-prize jury and was struck by his craftsmanship and detail. 'It seems quite simple, but it's actually incredibly sophisticated in the making,' she tells Vogue. 'What I loved was this balance between an almost fairy-tale atmosphere and something quite ritualistic and traditional that belongs very much to his family and country.' She found it a perfect match with MOIFA: 'There is something about folk art that feels very popular in a good way, in a way that is not too detached. I wanted that to translate in this installation—something that could be approached by kids and the usual visitors but also by contemporary-art-world people. Contemporary art can create new ways of seeing the amazing collection already there.' The boundaries between folk and contemporary art have long been fluid, from 1940s Art Brut; to feminist and conceptual artists reclaiming craft, ritual, and domestic traditions in the '60s and '70s; to the present, when museums and art fairs have fully embraced folk-informed contemporary practices. Today artists from Ai Weiwei and Nick Cave to El Anatsui, Kimsooja, and Jeffrey Gibson have drawn from or engaged with folk-art traditions. For Zhang Xu, however, 'Taiwanese ceremonial crafts were never considered art in my childhood—it was part of survival.' He admits to at times longing to escape the practice—though he's found freedom creating from his vision instead of fulfilling customer requests. Artist Zhang Xu Zhan as a child with his father and sister at their family's Taipei workshop Photos: Courtesy of the artist A large paper house and other effigies hang from the ceiling in Zhang Xu's family's kitchen. Funeral items are commonly prepared in advance so they can be sold the moment a client needs them. Photos: Courtesy of the artist 'What makes my relationship to these materials unique,' he observes, 'is that I don't treat them as fixed cultural symbols. They've been a part of my life for so long that I interact with them intuitively. I'm not looking at them from a distance but from lived experience.' For example, in Taiwan paper puppets are often displayed standing reverently at funerals. But in his home, where for storage they were tucked away in every available corner, 'they would often hang from the ceiling waiting to be sold, almost like bats. These everyday memories help me avoid cliché readings of tradition and instead find new ways of interpreting them.' Zhang Xu says that his father, who still works the family trade, doesn't quite understand his son's career—he criticizes his animals as not being realistic enough—but has heard friends mention his accolades. The artist has had several solo shows in Asia and participated in group exhibitions and film festivals there and in Europe; the High Line in New York screened his films earlier this year. He's also at work on a new film about water lanterns in different Asian traditions, from India to Vietnam, China, and Japan.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hong Kong's Giant Panda Twins Get the Labubu Treatment for First Birthday Extravaganza
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has partnered with artist and author Kasing Lung, creator of Labubu, and Ocean Park Hong Kong to launch a limited-edition Labubu x Panda Twins birthday collectible. This figure marks the first birthday of Hong Kong's giant panda twins, Jia Jia and De De, born at Ocean Park in August 2024. The collectible features a bamboo-green Labubu wearing a polka-dot party hat and holding the panda twins. It is presented in a custom gift box along with a handcrafted birthday card designed by Lung, a Hong Kong native whose Labubu characters enjoy international appeal. More from WWD Puma Has New Blind-Box 'Fantastic Four' Sneakers - but No One Has Seen Them Yet EXCLUSIVE: Revlon Teams With Guy Fieri to Drop a Wing-inspired Lip Balm Named 'Flavortown' Charli XCX Brings Bratcore Style to Converse With New Custom Chuck Taylor Launch 'I am delighted to collaborate with the HKTB and design this Panda Twins birthday special edition of LABUBU to share Hong Kong's joyful energy with fans worldwide, and to play a part in promoting our city,' Lung said via statement. The birthday edition coincides with a monthlong celebration across Hong Kong aimed at panda fans and visitors. From 25 July, guests at Ocean Park can pre-register online at for a lucky draw running throughout August. Winners will receive one of about 300 gift boxes containing the Labubu collectible and a birthday card. Additional boxes will be available during the celebrations from Aug. 15 to 17. Ocean Park will serve as the main venue for the festivities, offering attractions such as the Panda Friends Summer Splash featuring Line Friends characters, water games, themed photo spots and panda-themed decorations. Evening programming features the Gala of Lights — Panda Birthday Edition, which includes projections, dancing fountains and music. Special panda merchandise, including plush toys dressed in kindergarten uniforms, and exclusive ticket packages are also part of the event. Beyond Ocean Park, the panda birthday is celebrated citywide with panda-themed MTR station designs and decorated road signs. These public displays create opportunities for photo-taking and encourage tourist engagement throughout Hong Kong. Created in 2019 by Pop Mart and inspired by Lung's 'The Monsters' storybook, Labubu reached a new peak in popularity in 2025, as search interest for the plush dolls surged exponentially on Google, and celebrities began to adopt Labubu as an accessory. Due to its popularity, the Chinese-based company has released an extensive list of collaborations, including the Labubu x Kow Yokoyama Ma. K Series, the Labubu Coca-Cola Series, and partnerships with Uniqlo and the Chinese label Pronounce. Labubu Street Style Wave: How the Viral Charms Are Styled as Accessories, Photos View Gallery Launch Gallery: Labubu Street Style Wave: How the Viral Charms Are Styled as Accessories, Photos Best of WWD ColourPop x Lilo & Stitch Collaborate on Mischievous Island Adventures Collection in New Campaign [PHOTOS] Lunar New Year Collections to Know: Details on Fashion, Jewelry and More Brands Embracing the Year of the Snake Valentine's Day Collections to Know: Details on Fashion, Makeup, Jewelry and More Brands Giving Products a Touch of Love, Live Updates
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sonija Kwok denies marital woe with husband
28 Jul - Sonija Kwok was shocked and flabbergasted after a new rumour has emerged that she and husband Zhu Shaojie are no longer together. The whole issue started with a video she shared on social media, where she and her daughter Kylie went on a holiday to Maldives together without her husband. She wrote, "It's time to get moving and go see the world. I was in Maldives last year at this time. Our destination is Vietnam this year. Btw, happy birthday to me." The absence of Zhu had since sparked a speculation among fans that the two have ended their marriage. Sonija immediately released a response on Instagram, writing, "Thank you all for your concern. Never thought of a mum and daughter adventure would lead to rumours. My husband's movie in the mainland is in full swing, and it's really impossible [for him] to find time to leave and come with us." "My daughter and I both understand and thank my husband for his hard work so we can travel, eat, drink and have fun," she added. Looks like Sonija and Kylie had a wonderful mother-daughter quality and bonding time on their holiday: View this post on Instagram A post shared by 郭羡妮 (@sonijakk) (Photo Source: Sonija IG)