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“I am not a female architect. I am an architect....

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Mar 31

“I am not a female architect. I am an architect. When we talk about gender, we tend to talk about women. Men do not really have a gender. They are just… neutral. Non-gender. That is why you do not recognise the term “male architect.” It just goes without saying.” Dorte Mandrup
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I am constitutionally opposed to the idea of ‘Women’s History Month’ or ‘International Women’s Day.’ Women contribute to our world in innumerable ways every single day of the year and deserve to be recognized for their work all the time, not just on a specific day or in a specific month.
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That said, I’ve used the spotlight on women this month to celebrate artists, designers, sculptors, and architects who have made enormous contributions to their fields. Even as this Women’s History Month comes to a close, I will continue to uplift and bring awareness to the ways great women have molded and continue to develop the arts.

“If I fail, I should know where to strengthen my...

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Mar 31

“Prison was a very enriching experience for my ...

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Mar 30

“Prison was a very enriching experience for my development as a human being and artist. When a crisis or tragedy occurs, one can become either become stronger or be destroyed. I became more open to people, to life. Before, I didn’t compromise. Now, if I see someone’s weakness, I accept it.” Inji Efflatoun (1924-1989)
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Born in 1924 to an affluent Muslim family in Cairo, Inji Efflatoun was a talented artist from childhood. Her earliest pieces were drawings created for her father in his entomology lab. Her studies at the Lycée Français du Caire exposed her to western philosophies, the French Revolution and Marxism, leading her to reject her elitist background to live among, and paint the struggles of, the Egyptian working-class. A Marxist and feminist activist, her paintings brought to light the suffering and inequality happening in Egypt throughout her life.
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In response to her depictions of the strife created by Egypt's nationalist regime, Inji was incarcerated by President Gamal Abdul Nasser and imprisoned from June 1959 to July 1963. During this time she continued painting, creating landscapes and raw, empathetic works of fellow women prisoners. These raw, intimate pieces have become her most famous works and were displayed in exhibitions all over the world after her liberation.
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Her works are now displayed in the Amir Taz Palace in Cairo and at the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah.

"Design has the potential to marry the ...

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Mar 29

"Design has the potential to marry the imaginative and the pragmatic." Clementine Blakemore
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Clementine Blakemore is an architectural designer, interested in the relationship between design, production and place. Her practice is focused on small-scale design/build projects.
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Her design philosophy centers around sustainability and ecological consciousness. Each of her projects achieves high environmental standards through passive strategies, renewable energy implementation and sustainable/re-purposed/salvaged materials.

"I’m inspired by the magical formations and...

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Mar 28

"I’m inspired by the magical formations and behaviors I see in nature. A crystal that is both geometric and organic. A flower’s movements with the sun and moon. These examples of nature as both perfect and wild, thriving in sometimes impossible conditions, drive my process.
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Nature's mantra is translated directly through my hands to the material and process. Clay, an otherwise dense and heavy material, is transformed to feel flexible and light by weaving it around common objects, or introducing negative spaces to solid forms. I opt for depth and richness in finishing, to show evidence of the alchemic, handmade process.
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My work creates tension between perfection and serendipity. This translates into pieces that strike a harmonious balance between impossible geometries and a rational reason for being—much like the objects I admire in nature. " - Susan McKinney

"Rather than imposing your ego and your sense...

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Mar 27

"Rather than imposing your ego and your sense of shape on a piece of wood, the piece of wood is your partner. There is some kind of communication between human beings and wood, and we try to preserve that when we make our furniture. " Mira Nakashima
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Mira Nakashima, daughter to the famed architect and designer, George Nakashima, has run and expanded her father's furniture design business since his death in 1990. She is the true heir to her family's great design legacy.
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Under Mira the studio has modernized, with new technology, further consideration for sustainability and more women on the staff than ever before. Yet, the heart of production, the wood she uses and the spirit of her creative process remains true to the Nakashima philosophy. Close consideration for negative space, the will of the wood itself and the intent for the piece are central to her construction. She has struck a delicate balance, creating a combined old-and-new-world production style.
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Born in 1942 and detained at just six weeks old with her parents in the Minidoka War Relocation Center until 1945, Mira spent most of her life working with her father. After studying architecture in Boston at Harvard and in Tokyo at Waseda University, Mira returned home to work in the family studio. By the time she took over the business, Mira had spent two decades as an apprentice in her father's studio.
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Now at age 81, Mira still manages the Nakashima studio. Each piece of wood in the studio's storage shed, built after George's death to house all the wood he had hand-selected but never used, is carefully considered and labeled for use by her practiced hand.

"I cannot take a canvas and simply paint it. ...

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Mar 22

"I cannot take a canvas and simply paint it. It's not my thing. I think the material has to have an identity." Katharina Welper
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Born to a large family in Brazil, as a child Katharina Welper was only calm when she had something to occupy her hands. The constant, near-obsessive drive to create has persisted throughout her life. When making her iconic mosaics, she delicately places tiny tiles to create large, detailed portraits, still lifes and abstract images on wood panels and furniture she builds herself. In addition to these pain-staking mosaics, Katharina paints, collages, makes textile art and choreographs performance pieces.
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Katharina draws inspiration from many sources - through the use of found objects in her work, memory, history and her stunning surroundings at her Rio De Janeiro studio. She does not use traditional canvases; she feels it is vital that the surfaces, as much as the work she creates on top, have a history and identity. Though she grew up painting with her mother, who was a painter, she does not rely on her formal artistic training. Her creative process is built from accumulated knowledge and experimentation.
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Katharina's work has been exhibited all over the world, in galleries throughout Brazil, and in Skanderborg, New York, and Paris. Her work is currently being featured at Pacodas Artes in São Paulo, Brazil, as part of the "NÓS – Arte e Ciência Por Mulheres (Us - Art and Science By Women)", an exhibition highlighting work by women artists and scientists addressing feminist issues from March 18 - June 11, 2023.

"I think most artists create out of despair. ...

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Mar 21

"I think most artists create out of despair. The very nature of creation is not a performing glory on the outside, it's a painful, difficult search within." Louise Nevelson (1899-1988)
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Born in Russia and raised in Maine, Louise Nevelson painted and sculpted throughout her life, even during her early childhood. She honed her craft through constant experimentation and went on to become one of the foremost sculptors of the 20th century. Her work explores the concepts of myth and mystery through the interplay of light and shadow, and ranges in size and media from delicate pieces of jewelry and print work, to massive welded metal installations.
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Louise was never precious about materials; she worked with found objects and freely transformed her materials as necessary to create her vision.
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Louise received a multitude of awards, including the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Metal, Brandeis University Creative Arts Award for Sculpture, and an honorary degree from Harvard University. Her work is immortalized in the Louise Nevelson Plaza in New York City and is featured in museums and sculpture gardens around the world.

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