CREATIVE AFRICA

If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed;

If in terms of 10 years, plant trees; 

If in terms of 100 years, teach the people.

These words of Confucius are the guiding principles to African architect Francis Kéré's work.  Born in the small town of Gando in Burkina Faso, Kéré was the first of his village to pursue higher education as an architect, and eventually returned to build schools and community buildings in his hometown.  The central facet of everything Kéré does is participation.  In all of his projects, he aims to include the local communities in the process, giving them skills and problem-solving techniques that they can apply to future situations. For his installation Colorscape for the Creative Africa exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kéré used the help of volunteers from local educational institutions to install the large paracord environment.

I visited the museum over the weekend with a dress I made especially for the installation.  After seeing my post online, Kéré invited me to come and meet him, as he was on his way to Philadelphia from Burkina Faso to give a lecture at the University of Pennsylvania.  I was seated amongst the masses in the lecture hall when Kéré noticed my dress and said, "Is it you?!"  We had a wonderful conversation afterward as I told him about Artfully Awear and how his work had inspired me.  For him, it was an example of how his work elicits a response - and, in my case, an entire new work.  For me, he had planted a seed but also taught me a valuable lesson about engaging with a work of art.

Photos by William Sealy.

CREATIVE AFRICA

If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed;

If in terms of 10 years, plant trees; 

If in terms of 100 years, teach the people.

These words of Confucius are the guiding principles to African architect Francis Kéré's work.  Born in the small town of Gando in Burkina Faso, Kéré was the first of his village to pursue higher education as an architect, and eventually returned to build schools and community buildings in his hometown.  The central facet of everything Kéré does is participation.  In all of his projects, he aims to include the local communities in the process, giving them skills and problem-solving techniques that they can apply to future situations. For his installation Colorscape for the Creative Africa exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kéré used the help of volunteers from local educational institutions to install the large paracord environment.

I visited the museum over the weekend with a dress I made especially for the installation.  After seeing my post online, Kéré invited me to come and meet him, as he was on his way to Philadelphia from Burkina Faso to give a lecture at the University of Pennsylvania.  I was seated amongst the masses in the lecture hall when Kéré noticed my dress and said, "Is it you?!"  We had a wonderful conversation afterward as I told him about Artfully Awear and how his work had inspired me.  For him, it was an example of how his work elicits a response - and, in my case, an entire new work.  For me, he had planted a seed but also taught me a valuable lesson about engaging with a work of art.

Photos by William Sealy.

ART OF FASHION 2013: Past Behavior.

"There is no such thing as design, just re-design."

Left: Bronzino, Portrait of Eleanor of Toledo and Her Son, ca. 1545; Right: Frank Sorbier Collection, Fall 2013 Couture

This statement is true across media of art and design -- as it is said, there is nothing new under the sun.  Artists and designers alike look to the past for inspiration and ways to re-make, re-model, re-imagine styles and ideals that came before.  Art of Fashion, an award-winning not-for-profit organization, is committed to fostering the careers of emerging Canadian apparel and accessory designers by creating platforms for exposure.  Each year, Art of Fashion hosts a call for entries for emerging designers to create looks based on a chosen theme.  This year, the theme for the Project Runway-like competition is Past Behavior.

Left: Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, Portrait of a Woman, 1628; Right: Georges Hobeika Collection, Fall 2013 Couture

Designers entering the competition are encouraged to "take from the past and apply to the present", resulting in modern takes on traditional designs.  Fashion, like art, is cyclical, and the canon of Art History provides a wealth of inspiration for today's established fashion designers.  As with the inspirational images in this post, it is obvious that the theme Past Behavior is relevant within the latest collections of some of the most distinguished fashion designers.

Left: Torii Kiyonaga, Geisha of the Tachibana Street, 1742; Right: Didit Hediprasetyo Collection, Spring 2013 Couture

Art of Fashion's Past Behavior call for entries closes on August 9th, and the ten most promising entrants will showcase their collections in Toronto on September 27th.  I can't wait to see how these emerging designers will utilize the theme, and look forward to seeing work that reinvents the past in ways that are uniquely Canadian.

You can follow Art of Fashion on Facebook and Twitter, and stay tuned for my recap of the winning designs!

[Artwork images via metmuseum.org, worldofshakespeare.com, and www.elizabethan-portraits.com; Runway images from nymag.com.]