Latest news with #handpainted
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
This week in PostMag: ghostly signs of Hong Kong and Old Master Q
The best stories are often the ones hiding in plain sight: half-obscured and easy to overlook. That's the starting point for our cover story this week, on Hong Kong's ghost signs. It's a spooky, slightly mysterious term, but you know them – hand-painted shopfronts, weather-worn billboards and bits of calligraphy that have somehow survived decades of redevelopment and repainting. The project is the work of designer Billy Potts and photographer Ben Marans, who have spent the past few years documenting remnants of the city's commercial past, from pawn-shop signs in Kowloon City to the red-and-white checkerboard once used by pilots landing at Kai Tak. They've created a virtual map ( ), held exhibitions and built a community via Instagram. It's the kind of nostalgia Hong Kong loves, paired with an effort at preservation in a city that's always changing. That same tension between progress and preservation runs through Christopher DeWolf's feature on Hong Kong's municipal services buildings, and the related Venice Biennale of Architecture exhibition. DeWolf revisits these multi-storey complexes that have long housed libraries, sports facilities, markets and cooked food centres under one roof. They were once hailed as symbols of efficient, egalitarian urban planning. But as the government demolishes and redevelops some, a debate is emerging: are we losing more than just buildings? For the exhibition's curators, the answer is yes. There's a different lens on history in Paul French's profile of Old Master Q. The comic strip, created by Alfonso Wong Kar-hei in 1962, was once a fixture of Hong Kong pop culture and still holds nostalgic appeal for many who grew up with it. The character is instantly recognisable: the long coat, the bad haircut, the pratfalls and slapstick that somehow doubled as social commentary. Wong's son Joseph, who took over the strip, has preserved his father's legacy while nudging the character into the digital age. There's even an app. Of course there is. But the spirit remains charmingly old school. We also head to Germany this week, where Peter Neville-Hadley takes us to Chemnitz, a former East German city once known as Karl-Marx-Stadt. Often passed over in favour of more photogenic neighbours, Chemnitz is now one of three European Capitals of Culture for 2025. Its programme this year ranges from classical concerts to street art, with many events taking place in former factories and public squares. It's a sharp contrast to another German city, Rothenburg ob der Tauber – postcard-ready and reliably packed with tourists. One quick programming note: as I mentioned last issue, we'll be on pause in print next week, but back the Sunday after. You'll still find us online, as ever. And, drumroll please … the crossword is back. We know it's long been a part of your weekend routine and as of this week, you can find the PostMag quick crossword , alongside the SCMP cryptic, in the SCMP app and online. Happy puzzling.
CBC
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Hand-painted interiors are making homes feel more human again
Design for You is a column by journalist and interior decorator Eva Voinigescu that spotlights today's most popular decorating and design trends, plus inspired ways to bring them home. One of my favourite pieces of artwork in my home is a lampshade hand-painted by Dorset, England–based artist Elizabeth Rose. The design is bright, full of movement and undeniably made by a human. It was an investment, but it elevates a simple object and makes me happy every day. Painting household items and rooms to add beauty and character is nothing new — but suddenly, it's everywhere. "People are looking for their homes to have character in a way that represents who they are, and brings joy to those who live there," said Sussex-based decorative painter Tess Newall, one of the artists at the forefront of the recent surge of hand-painted interiors. "Decorative painting gives soul to a space. Seeing brush strokes — the hand of a painter — adds narrative to a room." The decorative painting trending today isn't the kitschy fare of the '80s and '90s. "There [were] a lot of, like, teddy bears and cottage scenes and loons," said Ontario-based designer Kate Crothers. "It's like they all bought the same 'how-to' folk art book and followed the directions word for word, whereas previous movements have more sort of creativity and organic energy and flow." Newall's style is reminiscent of the work of early 20th-century artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, members of the influential Bloomsbury Group of artists, writers and thinkers known for their radical ideas. Charleston, their farmhouse in the British countryside, was the epicentre of their creative expression. "Charleston brings art into domestic spaces, with every surface being decorated — walls and lampshades, book covers and candlesticks," Newall said. Grant and Bell also painted geometric shapes, florals, animals and human figures onto bathtubs, wardrobes, fireplaces, headboards, chests, tables, ceramics and more. The muted colours and visible brush strokes give Charleston an ethereal quality that's both magical and deeply tangible. "I love how it's so imperfect," said Crothers. She points to the way social media and tools of mass production have shaped our expectations around perfection. "We have this idea that we can't put anything into the world unless it's perfection, and this style of painting is really a lesson in imperfection." Jane McCall, a Sussex-based painter and co-founder of Bloomsbury Revisited — a company that sells hand-painted, Bloomsbury-inspired lampshades — has noticed a renewed appreciation of handmade items since the pandemic. "The whole Bloomsbury ethos has absolutely taken off again," she said. Hand-painting from medieval Europe to Bloomsbury The Charleston style is part of a long tradition of decorative painting in Western art and interiors, though the practice itself spans cultures around the world. "Decorative painting is an age-old tradition, stretching back to over 40,000 years ago," said Newall, referencing depictions of animals and rituals on prehistoric cave walls. From ancient Egyptian tombs to Roman villas and Byzantine churches, decorative painting has long been used to bring meaning and beauty to interior spaces. In medieval Europe, it was often used to mark personal events like marriages and births, said McCall. In a blog post for online marketplace Styylish, antique dealer Silke Berlinghof-Nielsen wrote that painting wood furniture also served the practical purpose of protecting it from wear, weather and insects. Designs from this era featured geometric patterns, florals and religious iconography, reflecting both the natural world and the values of the time, she added. According to Berlinghof-Nielsen, this tradition evolved during the Renaissance. "Wealthy patrons commissioned master artisans to decorate cabinets, chests and tables with intricate scenes drawn from mythology, literature and landscapes," she wrote. While the wealthy were commissioning artists to paint grand interiors, Berlinghof-Nielsen noted, distinct regional folk art traditions were developing across Europe, featuring variations on botanical, animal and geometric motifs. These continued to be popular well into the 20th century with artists like Bell and Grant, whose travels would have exposed them to a range of folk art along with Greek paintings, Italian frescoes and French neoclassical painted furniture, according to McCall. "They mixed all of that up, and then they brought it back to their little farmhouse in the U.K.," she said. "It truly is a classical design element," said Crothers. "Whenever I'm looking at a design idea or something that feels trendy, I always look at the history behind it — and if it's something that has been in practice for centuries, it's always a sure bet for me that it's not something that will fall out of trend or get tired or boring." How to achieve the look yourself "Paint is the number one tool to transform a space on a budget," said Crothers, who's known for her signature checkerboard floors. "If you have a crummy floor, just paint it and do a fun design, and then you have an amazing floor." She's painted hardwood, laminate and ceramic — and while it won't stay perfect, she said it can be effective on any surface. "I would rather [have] an imperfect, fun painted floor than an ugly laminate floor." McCall shares the same belief: "If it's wood or it's fabric and the paint stays on it, you can kind of paint whatever you want," she said. When Crothers wanted to transform a brick fireplace she couldn't afford to re-cover, she turned to a decorative paint technique. "That has made it, in my mind, have more value than it would if it was covered with a marble slab, just because of the creative energy put into it," she said. Even if you doubt your artistic abilities, "it's still fully possible to do something really cool that's maybe geometric, such as taping off lines," she said. "In my previous home, I painted stripes on the wall of a bedroom, and it was so fun. It totally transformed the space and was such a simple project." For McCall, who runs lampshade-painting workshops, the whole idea behind hand-painting is to get away from machines and get connected with your creativity again. She allows for inspiration from books and other images, but discourages copying existing patterns and instead drawing from your imagination. "It's all about confidence," she says, "and the only way to get confidence is just doing the same thing and gradually building up familiarity." She also suggests thinking twice before throwing out an old wardrobe or lampshade and having a go at painting it instead. "It's such a mindful occupation." Crothers has worked with a muralist to paint the interior of a hutch and create a custom wallpaper for clients. She recommends searching for someone who is familiar with creating decorative patterns for walls and furniture. Or if there's an artist you're fond of, you can always reach out to see if they would consider doing a custom mural. "Having somebody's creative energy being put into your home is such a beautiful thing," said Crothers. Here's more inspiration for your own hand-painted interiors: Martha, the hallowed queen of DIY, painting a mural in her Turkey Hill home in Westport, Conn. Blue painted trim adds playfulness in this colourful kitchen by Reath Design. Print designer Daniel Matthews disguised his TV with a hand-painted fish. A neoclassical dining room mural painted by artist Elise Troister. A wallpaper designed for Schumacher by painter and muralist Abel Macias. Painted lampshades by artist Alvaro Picardo.
CBC
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Nova Scotian lighthouse lamp found in B.C. thrift store ignites cross-country friendship
Julia Ghersini found a lighthouse lamp in a Maple Ridge, B.C., thrift store and realized it was a unique, hand-painted item by Nova Scotia's John and Sheila Jordan. When she posted about it on Facebook, her post went viral, and she ended up meeting Amanda Farnsworth-Thibodeau, a great-niece of the Jordans, who has her own version of the lighthouse.
NHK
06-06-2025
- General
- NHK
Banner painter keeps father's eye-popping legacy alive
Iwaki Enobori banners are big, bold and bursting with color — perfect for marking Children's Day each May. They're hand-painted in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, where a fourth-generation artisan is picking up exactly where his father left off.
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Götz Valien: The Last Dinosaur in the Movie Poster Industry
In a digital age, Götz Valien is Berlin's last movie poster artist, producing giant hand-painted film adverts. For more than three decades, Austrian-born Valien, 65, earns a modest living producing film posters to hang at the city's most beloved historic cinemas, a craft he says will probably die with him, at least in western Europe. He adds a distinctive pop art flourish to each image coupled with the beauty of imperfection, part of the reason he has managed to extend his career well into the 21st century, according to an article published by The Guardian. 'Advertising is about drawing attention and I add the human touch, which is why it works,' he told the newspaper. Valien's work plays up the image's essence: the imposing bow of a ship, the haunting eyes of a screen siren, a mysterious smile. He jokingly calls himself a Kinosaurier – a play on the German words for cinema and dinosaur. His nearly-7x9-meter canvases long-graced the 'film palaces' of the German capital, including the majestic Delphi in the west and the socialist modernist masterpiece Kino International on Karl Marx Allee in the east. But the former's adverts finally went digital in 2024, while the latter is closed for a years-long, top-to-bottom revamp. Dozens of independent cinemas among his clients have simply gone out of business. The century-old Filmtheater am Friedrichshain (FaF) is the last movie theater in Berlin still employing Valien to tout its new releases, with his large-format posters covering its facade and interior walls around the ticket-and-popcorn counter. Movie posters have existed as long as the nearly 130-year-old film industry. But these days, few releases stay long enough in cinemas to justify bespoke art to advertise them, communications studies professor Patrick Rössler of the University of Erfurt, who has studied the history of film posters, told local media. And most independent cinemas don't have the profit margins to afford them, even at what Valien calls his bargain-basement prices.
