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Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Art in Mind… Wry Reflections that Blend Art and Reality
In the Brick Lane area of East London, a mischievous creative spirit reigns, expressing itself through graffiti on every wall, door, and window. Words and slogans mingle with imaginary or even realistic drawings. Here, creativity is vibrant and boundless, making the area attractive to young and old alike. The streets are crowded, and the bagel shops for which the area is famous attract passers-by, while the scattered art galleries offer visitors a place to consume sandwiches and to chat. Amid this buzz, a group exhibition is currently being held at the Brick Lane Gallery, featuring artists who lack notoriety, but make up for it in talent and creativity. The exhibition showcases eight artists, whose works range from landscape painting to photography and portraits. Some of the works appear amateurish, but others exude strong artistic talent and distinctive style. The show explores the different ways artists express visions that blend abstract nature, landscapes, and dreamlike fantasies. It explores the works of artist Shelley Hordiyuk, who chose to display her canvases without frames to evoke the idea of liberation from constraint. Her paintings, entitled "Drawn by the Light", depict a world of trees and branches. She chooses to depict her trees from the perspective of a person standing beneath a web of branches. She chooses a uniform color background for each painting. One has a green background, where the trees appear almost devoid of leaves, and then there is a painting with a yellow background mixed with brown patches, reflecting warmth. "Drawn by the Light" paintings by Shelley Hordiyuk. (Asharq Al-Awsat) She says of her paintings, "I feel a love for the impossible tree or the sky painted in unrealistic colors. I also like to exaggerate these colors and lines, to take shapes from reality and gradually transform them into abstract pictures." On a separate wall, the paintings of English artist Bryn Haworth are distinguished by their calm, confident brushstrokes and vivid colors. They also have an air of mystery that prompted visitors to ask the artist what they meant. One of them explained, "I sense a sarcastic tone in the paintings. They appear serious and traditional, but the artist has a distinct sense of humor that provokes discussion about what he depicts." In an introduction to his work, Haworth discusses two paintings entitled "Remoaner Lisa" and "Something Rotten." The first takes Leonardo da Vinci's smiling Mona Lisa, removing her smile and transforming it into a sulky pout. Behind her, instead of a Tuscan landscape, he depicts the reality of Britain after its separation from the European Union (Brexit). Behind the Mona Lisa, we see the Eurostar train tunnel, its entrance closed, and the white cliffs of Dover with the word "Goodbye" written over them, a reference to a cover from the pro-Brexit newspaper The Sun. The painting combines seriousness with bitter irony. It was first presented in Paris as part of an exhibition on the stance of British artists towards Brexit. Haworth explains that he was keen for the Mona Lisa to resemble former Prime Minister David Cameron, whom many blame for the Brexit referendum. Art by Bryn Haworth. (Asharq Al-Awsat) The political dimension extends to another painting inspired by the French artist Chardin's painting "Ray." In it, a ray fish hangs above a kitchen table, but it appears grey, as if mold has begun to invade it. The artist used the features of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to express the confusion that characterized his term in office during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two paintings are the beginning of a parodic series the artist is working on, creating an alternative to the portraits that line the main stairway in 10 Downing Street. From da Vinci and Chardin, the third piece is based on Renaissance artist, Sandro Botticelli, and his iconic work, "The Birth of Venus." In the original, the goddess emerges from the depths of the sea, radiant with breathtaking beauty, standing on a shell. Here, we see her as reimagined by Haworth, sitting on her shell as she watches a scene unfold near the Uffizi Museum where she resides. It's a scene from Italian history: the trial of the extremist priest, Girolamo Savonarola. From her position above the scene, Venus witnesses the brutal end of a period of religious extremism to which Botticelli himself fell victim, to the point that he burned several of his paintings in the so-called bonfire of the vanities – a pivotal moment in the history of art. The "Remoaner Lisa" by Bryn Haworth. (Asharq Al-Awsat) "The Price of Bananas" is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the art market and on the sale of "Comedian" in particular. Created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, this was a real banana attached to the gallery wall by duct tape, which sold for more than $6 million at auction. Haworth's version borrows from Andy Warhol in its depiction of four bananas against colorful backgrounds. However, he chooses to place the current price from various local markets under each banana, ending with the art market. The work attracts visitors with its ironic touch and its colorful brilliance. In a nearby corner, Russian photographer of Turkish origin, Daniel Buyukotsun, displays a number of photographs entitled "Street Layers", a black-and-white series in which the photographer experiments with layering different scenes on top of each other without resorting to digital technology. He superimposes a shot of one London street over a view of vehicles from a different street. Buildings, pedestrians, and vehicles blend within a single frame, giving the image an experimental feel, but also representing an emotional record of the capital's streets. A work by Daniel Buyukotsun. (Asharq Al-Awsat) Buyukotsun notes that he deliberately created one sequence of shots, but in other images the arrangement of layers was accidental: "My aim is not to record city life as it is, but to explore how life can feel within those layers." It's the kind of feeling the visitor to Brick Lane will instantly recognize, a combination of urban reality with flights of the imagination. *"Art In Mind" exhibition at Brick Lane Gallery, London runs until 25 August.
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Moment man crumples to floor after ‘UK's hottest curry' – could you handle it?
THIS is the moment a diner crumples to the floor outside a restaurant after eating the "UK's hottest curry." The man, named Daniel, took on the challenge of eating the extremely spicy curry served by London restaurant, Bengal Village, located in Brick Lane. 7 7 7 Video of Daniel's attempt shows Mr Raj, who is the face of Bengal Village, serving Daniel the dish whilst wearing a gas mask, gloves and sunglasses. Mr Raj warns: "It does get to the back of your throat a bit. "Have some water, we'll be alright." Daniel can next be seen taking a spoonful of the dish and struggling to tolerate the spice, then turning red. It then cuts to Daniel collapsed on the pavement outside the restaurant, with his shirt off visibly sweating, and a small carton of milk beside him. Mr Raj attempts to comfort his customer outside on the floor, bringing him a large glass of mango lassi. "It will cool all your insides, your livers, and within ten minutes you'll be back up," Mr Raj says. "Believe me, just take it, please listen to me. "I know I'm not a doctor, but it will help you." If a customer is able to finish the curry within 15 minutes, they are able to receive their whole table meal for free no matter how many guests. Dubai Ice Cream London's so-called " hottest curry" contains 72 spices, including the hot Carolina Reaper and a rare chilli from Bangladesh known as "snake chilli". On the Bengal Village website, the restaurant writes: "Disclaimer: We take no responsibility of any after effects." Owner of Bengal Village, Mo, 24, who has been running the establishment since he was 17, has seen the challenge blow up after sharing it on social media. 7 7 He told The Sun: "We believe it's actually the worlds hottest but the public can decide that. "We add 72 different chilli's to this curry so it cost us a lot more to make than to sell it. "The chilli's we use for this curry are from all around the world especially India and Bangladesh where my heritage start." He added: "We do not encourage any customers to have this dish, they do on their own accord." The restaurant also offers a number of other challenges if customers have no chance of completing the hot curry challenge. They include consuming three poppadoms within 60 seconds without any fluids, or a "roll the dice" to get two sixes. However, the hot curry remains their most popular challenge. Daniel was reportedly fine after a short while with restaurant owner Mo telling The Sun: 'After about 30 minutes he was fine and well, it's a temporary pain." How to manage a spicy dish Here's how to cool down your mouth after a spicy dish To effectively manage the heat from spicy food you could consume dairy products like milk or yogurt. Alternatively, acidic foods like lemonade or orange juice can help neutralize the spice. Starchy foods such as bread, rice, or potatoes can also absorb some of the spice and provide relief. Capsaicin is the chemical compound that gives chillies their heat. Dairy products, acidic foods and starchy foods all work to eliminate capsaicin in different ways. Milk: Whole milk is often recommended over skim milk due to its higher fat content, which helps bind to capsaicin. Yogurt: Provides a cooling effect and contains casein, which helps neutralize capsaicin. Other Dairy: Sour cream or ice cream can also be helpful. Lemonade, Limeade, Orange Juice: The acidity can help counteract the spicy sensation. Tomato-based foods: The acidity can also help. Bread: Crusty bread with its nooks and crannies can help distract the taste buds. Rice, Potatoes, or other starchy foods: Can absorb some of the capsaicin. 7
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Moment curry staff had to feed struggling diner WATER after he tried restaurant's super-hot dish that's dubbed the spiciest in the country
Every curry house thinks they've got the spiciest dish in the land. But Bengal Village on Brick Lane, east London, has a pretty compelling claim to the throne with footage circulating on social media of bleary-eyed diners gasping for air and being fed water after trying their hottest curry challenge. Viral clips show Mr Raj, the face of the restaurant's thriving social media, attending to cocky customers who have pulled up horribly short in their bid to wolf down the meal and earn themselves a free dinner. The flagship dish sets punters back £22 but, owing to its dizzying array of rare spices, costs £50 to make. It is, however, social media golddust, with increased attention on X meaning more diners piling into the Bangladeshi curry spot. Mo, 25, has been running the restaurant for eight years and injected some Gen Z wisdom into the traditional eatery by pushing it online. Speaking to MailOnline, he reflected on the growing buzz at Bengal Village but firstly set the record straight about the best way to treat a customer who can't hack the heat - and it turns out he doesn't agree with his colleague Mr Raj. 'We give them cold, cold mango lassi beforehand,' he said. 'We give them mango lassi after. We know how to make it quicker for them to recover when they are in pain. 'We also give them ice cream and Indian yoghurt. Definitely [better than] water. I've seen people have it with fizzy drinks, beer, and it's bad. 'We don't recommend [how to do it], we let everyone do what they want. But if one of my staff members had to do it, which I think is going to be my next video anyway, then I would give them cold milk to drink with it.' The secret to the dish's head-thumping spice levels? Chucking in as many chillis as possible - 72, to be precise. To make things even more terrifying, many are completely unknown and hail from the villages of Mo's native Bangladesh, where his father, who first opened the restaurant in 1991, emigrated from. 'In terms of Scoville Value [the measure of a food's heat], the hottest chilli in the world is, I think, Pepper X, and the second is the Carolina Reaper,' the owner said. 'But that's what the world thinks. My family were born in Bangladesh and they know certain plants and chillies that the world hasn't even discovered yet. 'They probably will soon...' he added wryly. 'We're making a loss on the curry, because the curry costs much more than £21.95 to make, because of all the different chilies. We have to cut it all and then use the chicken and the gravy, everything. 'So it costs about £50. Sometimes more, sometimes less, when we have to get the chillies from other places.' Mo's father died last year, three decades after he first welcomed customers to Bengal. He gained an edge on his competition, according to his son, by being the best at speaking English in an area packed with fine curry houses. 'The English customers all loved him, so they always wanted a type of challenge,' said Mo, who took over the business while his five brothers set up restaurants elsewhere. 'My dad was doing it with much less chilli. So we thought, if we're going to do a challenge, we're going to need to add a little bit more. 'He also didn't do the challenge where anyone can win a table's meals free. Now if you win, your whole table's meals are free. Whether you're 20 people, 30 people, or just one person.' Has anyone won? ' not unfortunately, congratulations to the guy that won, because you can't be cheap and someone has to be a winner,' Mo said. 'It was a ginger fella. That video actually got the most views, 3.3 million. Well done to him. 'But our main chef was not in. Our second chef was and he put in much less than 72 chillis - but the guy's still a strong man. 'The after effect is very bad but he was very strong. He didn't show any after effects actually.' Some people can't get enough of the challenge, with one family even being encouraged to try some of Bengal's more palatable curries. Mo added: 'We had the first lady ever do this challenge. This lady then came back the next week, which was two days ago, with her husband and son, and her husband doing the hottest curry challenge. 'Then they came yesterday, and they wanted to do another challenge, but we said "come on, both you guys have tried it, enjoy a curry, enjoy the time". Then they just had anything, and they loved it. 'Anyone that asks for the challenge, we always say: "Are you sure?" It's not good to judge people, but we can tell sometimes when someone can actually handle the spice. 'There's only some obviously crazy people that can do it. It's always the calm ones. The people that are overconfident, we automatically know, "they won't be able to do it".' The most popular online clips show patrons staggering onto Brick Lane or locking themselves in toilets after trying the ferocious curry, but Mo was quick to insist that nobody has ever been hospitalised. 'It depends on the person, but it's normally a maximum of one hour of feeling a little bit bad,' he said. 'But we've seen people recover in 30 minutes or 15 minutes. 'Then we get an interview with them after they've recovered from everything. It's fun, it's nice. 'We've never had anyone hospitalised.' Bengal Village's raging social media success has proved a bolt from the blue, boosting the business of a curry house which had enjoyed a steady flow of customers since Mo's father opened its doors in the 90s. 'He didn't really want us to be in the trade,' Mo said. 'He wanted us to study and be a lawyer, a doctor, we just saw how he always looked happy. 'We always wanted to be next to him in the restaurant while he was working and we just learned everything from there. 'When I first came I started focusing on the reviews. For small businesses like us, one bad review equals 200 good reviews, and then the rating goes down and people don't think the food is nice. 'Big businesses, like Gauchos, McDonald's, don't need reviews. They can be one star rated, and people will still go there because of their marketing and their brand awareness. 'So I thought, let's jump on social media and then take it from there. Everything is organic. All the videos you see are straight from my iPhone. 'I directly upload. I don't edit, I don't know how to edit, but everything I've been doing is natural.' Ever more people are visiting the Brick Lane curry house in an apparent bid to blow their heads off with spice, meaning Mo is exploring options for a second branch. But this time he's making sure he upgrades one vital facility. He said: 'A lot of people are coming in. So we are thinking of expanding to a place where it's easier for people to get to, maybe in the City. 'We're going to make sure there's a separate toilet for just the challenges, because they do take a while in there. So we're going to have to drift everyone apart.'
1News
28-05-2025
- 1News
Australian man faces death penalty after Bali cocaine arrest
A 43-year-old Australian man is facing the death penalty in Indonesia, after allegedly trying to smuggle $1.2 million worth of cocaine into Bali disguised in chocolate packaging. Lamar Aaron Ahchee was arrested last week following a controlled delivery operation by Indonesian police and customs officials. Authorities allege he attempted to import 1.8 kilograms of cocaine into the country, hidden inside Lindt chocolate balls. The drugs were reportedly sent in two packages from the UK to Bali. According to Bali police, officers swooped in during the handover at a Canggu villa after receiving a tip-off from the public. Ahchee was allegedly paid 50 million Indonesian rupiah (NZ$5000) to collect and distribute the drugs. He now faces multiple charges under Indonesia's strict narcotics laws, including importing and distributing a Class 1 drug, which carries penalties ranging from life imprisonment to death by firing squad. ADVERTISEMENT Ahchee is believed to be originally from Cairns, Queensland, and had been working in hospitality and marketing in Bali prior to his arrest. Social media posts from earlier this year show him promoting the popular Brick Lane restaurant in Canggu, where he was the general manager until March. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to an Australian man detained in Bali. Indonesia maintains some of the harshest drug laws in the world. Travellers to the popular holiday island are regularly warned of the country's zero-tolerance stance, which has seen several foreigners handed death sentences in the past. His arrest comes five months after the last remaining members of the infamous Bali Nine drug smuggling ring were released from Indonesian prisons and repatriated to Australia.
West Australian
26-05-2025
- West Australian
Lamar Aaron Ahchee named as Australian arrested in Bali over alleged attempt to import 1.7kg of cocaine
An Australian man, originally from Queensland, has been arrested in Bali after allegedly attempting to import 1.7kg of cocaine into Indonesia. Lamar Aaron Ahchee, 43, can now be revealed as the Australian man who has been arrested. At a police media conference on Monday, Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya Identified the Australian as LAA. Mr Ahchee, who is understood to have lived in Sydney from at least 2011 - 20017, has lived and worked in both Australia and Indonesia. On April 12, 2025, Indonesian National Police alleged that two packages were sent from England to Indonesia. The packages, police said, were addressed to two locations; one heading for Mengwi, Bali, the other North Kuta. Police say the two packages arrived in Denpasar on May 20. Customs officers carried out an X-ray of the two packages, forming suspicions that they contained narcotics concealed within other items. The customs officers then worked with the Bali Police Narcotics Director to organised what they called a controlled delivery of the packages. On May 22, police allege Mr Ahchee used a driver to collect the two packages from the two post offices, before the driver, referred to by police as 'witness YE', took the packages to Mr Ahchee. Police said the collection of the packages happened in two separate trips. Police swooped in after both packages were delivered, arresting Mr Ahchee at a property in North Kuta. Police alleged they obtained 1.8kg of cocaine from the property, which without the package weighed 1.7kg. Authorities claim to have found scaled and small plastic bags within the apartment where Mr Ahchee was arrested, using this as further evidence. Mr Ahchee allegedly told police he did not know the owner of the narcotics, instead claiming he had been ordered to collect the delivery from a person named 'boss' in exchange for Rp. 50 million ($4750). The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trading confirmed they were assisting an Australian in Bali. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Bali,' a spokesperson said. 'Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment.' Mr Ahchee's LinkedIn profile lists senior roles with high-profile companies including OMNIA Dayclub Bali (Hakkasan Group), Seadeck Australia and Marquee Nightclub Sydney, and includes a junior role as a public relations coordinator at Qantas. From information on social media profiles, Mr Ahchee had been living in Indonesia since 2017. His LinkedIn Profile lists his last role as general manager of Brick Lane Bali, a restaurant and bar in Canggu. In a recent Facebook post, Mr Ahchee announced he was leaving Brick Lane to 'embark on new adventures'. 'As I step away from general manager at Brick Lane to embark on new adventures, I want to take a moment to reflect on this incredible journey,' he wrote. 'From a slab of concrete to conceptualising a new vision, redesigning, and eventually transforming this space into a true spaceship, it's been a ride that I will always be proud of.' In another post in March 2024, Mr Ahchee announced his partner was moving to Bali to live with him after a chance encounter. 'Ohhh how pretty she is without makeup,' he said alongside a series of images and videos of a woman. 'My peace: her eyes, My happiness: her smile. My comfort: her lap. My home: her arms. My world: her. 'She is a deadly combination. A great sense of humour, dirty mind (she is German after all/ her Polish balances her out), and a beautiful heart. 'Today, she is moving to Bali. 'People never forget how you make them feel. 27 April 2023, it was pure magic how someone's sight can make you smile. 'I was actually intimidated for the first time by (a) girl of her wittiness, beauty and charm. 'No person is sent to you by accident, the universe fights for certain souls to find one another, trust me, I'm 42. 'I believe when it's finally right, everything that you love ruthlessly, will love you back with the same conviction. 'They led you to the person you were meant to be. 'No one can tell you or show you, it's a feeling like no other. When you know, you know. 'I love you and I can't wait for your life with me in Bali,' he wrote. Indonesia has a zero-tolerance approach to drug-related offences, and has enforced its strict policy in the past with harsh penalties, including for Australian Schapelle Corby and the infamous Bali Nine. More to come...
