Chinese Artist B. Nomin Uses Traditional Buddhist Aesthetics to Evaluate Current Norms

THE UB POST
Trans. by L.NANDINTSETSEG

"Ersdel Daguulsan Togloom (Naughty Game)" by B.Nomin

CHINA---Mongolia’s leading contemporary art hub, 976 Art Gallery, moved to Best Western Premier Tuushin Hotel, and opened with solo shows from emerging talents B.Nomin and B.Baatarzorig. The exhibitions are on view through August 14. Nomin was trained in traditional painting methods at the Fine Arts School of the Mongolian University of Arts and Culture. She uses the aesthetics of Mongolian and Buddhist art, commissioned by ancient religious and imperial institutions, to comment on contemporary issues, examining the themes of wealth, politics, nature, and human relationships. Nomin’s goal is to displace current conventions and encourage viewers to evaluate cultural norms from the point of view of Mongolia’s ancient history. [link]

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An Indian Sculptor With Monumental Ambition

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Gardiner Harris

Ram V. Sutar at his studio. Credit Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times

INDIA---He may be history’s most prolific monumental sculptor, and now he hopes to win what may be one of history’s largest artistic commissions. Ram V. Sutar, 89, has already created more than 200 distinct statues, many of them massive. Now, he is a leading contender for the commission to produce the world’s largest statue: a 597-foot-tall rendering — which would be nearly twice as high as the Statue of Liberty — of Sardar Patel, an independence leader who played a crucial role in uniting India’s fractious states. Called the Statue of Unity, the work is to be placed in the western state of Gujarat, where India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi, was born, grew up and became a powerful politician. Mr. Modi has long pushed for the project, and his party’s landslide electoral victory in May vastly improved prospects for its completion. [link]

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Goryeo Buddhist Paintings Are 'Resting Place' by Ven. Hyedam

KOREA TIMES

"Water, Moon Gwaneum" by Ven. Hyedam. Courtesy of KyeTae Temple

KOREA---She's not one to count how many hours she spends re-creating Goryeo Buddhist paintings, because for her, it is a way of practicing Zen. But Ven. Hyedam, 63, who, for more than four decades, usually spends 16 to 18 hours a day on such paintings, thinks it comes down to some 200,000 hours. Since she was a child, Ven. Hyedam has been enraptured by Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) Buddhist paintings. She will show her work based on the paintings at her special exhibition at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, which will run from Dec. 9 through Dec. 15. [link]

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Miniature Art Works With a Hindu Touch

THE TIMES OF INDIA
By Zeenia Baria,TNN

Miniature art works with a religious touch

INDIA---Jaipur-based artist Ajay Garg is no stranger to Mumbai. Having exhibited his works in the city in the past, the talented artist is back with his latest collection of Rajasthani miniature paintings. The works, done in a traditional miniature style, feature Lord Ganesha, Krishna, Shrinathji and other religious figures. A miniature art work can at times be as small as just four to five inches and is filled with a plethora of details. Recent works by Ajay Garg can be viewed at Jehangir Art Gallery, AC - III, 161-B, M G Road, Kala Ghoda, from August 4 to 10, 11 am to 7 pm.  [link]

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In Pictures: China's Yellow River by Kechun Zhang

THE TELEGRAPH

Buddha in a coal depot, Ningxia Province, 2011

CHINA---Chinese photographer Kechun Zhang has won the prestigious Discovery Award at this year's Rencontres d'Arles for his series 'The Yellow River.' He was chosen by photography professionals and press at the opening week of the festival from a group of ten shortlisted artists, and receives 25,000 euros in prize money.His work is on show at the Parc des Ateliers, Arles until 31st August 2014. [link]

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Siddiqa Juma is Featured in Dubai's Celebration of Contemporary Islamic Art for Ramadan

THE NATIONAL
By Hareth A. Bustani

"Diversity" by Siddiqa Juma is one of the works on show at Emaar Pavilion. Courtesy Ahlan Art Gallery, London

DUBAI---This Ramadan, Dubai celebrates the spirit of modern Islam with an international contemporary Islamic art exhibition – in the heart of its urban Downtown area. The collection, from the London-based Ahlan Art gallery, has taken residence at Emaar Pavilion’s the Gallery, and its Ramadan tent. Hassan Mawji, the co-founder of Ahlan Art and the charity Mount Elimu, welcomes Ahlan Art’s first exhibition at the venue. Mawji says the piece to look out for is the one right by the entrance – "Diversity," by Siddiqa Juma. The image depicts the Ka’aba, surrounded by a sea of different coloured dots. Diversity celebrates the way in which Muslims from across the world are brought together for the Haj pilgrimage, a microcosm of the Muslim community at large. [link]

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Signapore Halts Destruction of "Pro-Gay" Children's Books

GLOBAL POST

The three pro-gay books which faced government censorship in Singapore (Photos: internet)

SINGAPORE---Singapore on Friday stopped its national library from destroying two children's books with gay themes following an outcry over literary censorship in the tightly regulated city-state. Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim ordered the books moved to the adult section, where parents can borrow them for their children, after another title had already been "pulped" by the National Library Board (NLB). The two books to be moved to the adult section of public libraries are "And Tango Makes Three" -- a true story about two male penguins in a New York zoo that raised a baby penguin -- and "The White Swan Express", which features children adopted by straight, gay, mixed-race and single parents. The book that has already been destroyed is "Who's In My Family", which discusses different types of families, including references to gay couples. [link]

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The Eleventh Commandment: Thou Shalt Paint

JERUSALEM POST
By Ariel Hendelman

I just take impressionist style and I put it into something Jewish and connect it to ‘kedusha’ or Eretz Yisrael. That’s always been my thing,’ says painter Elisheva Shira

ISRAEL---Beginning Monday and running through the 29th, the Gallery Al Ha’agam in Ra’anana Park is hosting the multi-artist exhibition, “Moments of Happiness.” The exhibit features sculptors, photographers and painters. One of the featured painters, Elisheva Shira, talks about her artistic journey from America to Israel, incorporating Torah into her paintings, and preparing for her first big show. [link]

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Metamorphosis of a City: From Constantinople to Istanbul

ISLAMIC ARTS MAGAZINE
By Maida Suljević

Hagia Sophia / Photo by Elvira Bojadzić, © Islamic Arts Magazine

TURKEY---When the walls of Constantinople under attack by the Ottoman army collapsed on May 29, 1453, the first thing Sultan Mehmed II did was to enter the famous Hagia Sophia and transform 'The Soul of the Byzantine Empire' into a mosque, making the dream of his great grandfather Bayezid I come true. Hagia Sophia was cleaned, carpets were laid and the first Friday prayer was held on June 1st, 1453. The waqf was immediately founded so that all needs of the new Imperial Mosque would be taken care of. Istanbul, an example of the cultural exchange between civilisations occurring throughout the history of humankind, is a witness to how Byzantine sacred monuments were preserved by the Ottomans after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It therefore grants us the privilege of admiring masterpieces of Byzantine architecture today. [link]

The dome of the Kariye Museum / Photo by Maida Suljević

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India Aims to Make Forlorn City a Model for Revival

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Stephanie Strom

Graham Crouch for The New York Times

INDIA---The big question on many minds here is: How long will the electricity last? Since Narendra Modi was elected prime minister in May, residents in this forlorn city on the Ganges — at least those with wiring — have had near constant electricity, compared with the failures totaling as much as eight to 10 hours a day in the past. Mr. Modi has promised to tackle Varanasi’s legion of problems and turn this holiest — and one of the dirtiest — of Hindu cities into a showcase of Indian culture and small business undergirded by better infrastructure. The city also should benefit from other budget goals, including 1 billion rupees designated for repairing historic ghats, 2 billion rupees to support craft textile manufacturing and a 5 billion rupee package aimed at enhancing the so-called tourist circuit that encompasses Sarnath, Varanasi and Gaya, cities holy to Hindus and Buddhists. [link]

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Philippine's ‘Unitas’ Features Muslim and Christian Artists

THE PHILIPPINE STAR

“Cities of the Past” by National ARTIST ARTURO LUZ

PHILIPPINES---Eid’l Fitr marks the end of Ramadan for Muslims all around the world. For this year’s Eid’l Fitr Festival, the concept for the art exhibit will be to provide an opportunity for Muslim artists to come together with their Christian brothers in the spirit of unity. It is in celebration of this unity of both Muslims and Christians that Magbassa Kita Foundation Inc., together with Galerie Joaquin Podium and the Podium Mall, present “Unitas: Muslim and Chrisitan Artists as One.” The exhibition will feature works that use not only Islamic but ecumenical and universal motifs and themes, from the likes of National Artists Abdulmari Imao, Arturo Luz, and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, as well as noted artists Toym Imao, Rameer Tawasil, Jamila Tamano, Dominic Rubio, Jovan Benito, and Aljo Pingol, as well as fashion designers Len Cabili, Amir Sali Aluk, Patis Tesoro and Cora Manimbo. [link]

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In The Shadow of Hindu Art, India's G. Raman and Veerasanthanam

THE HINDU
By Sujataha Shankar Kumar

Tholu Bommalattam uses translucent leather puppets that are coloured or black
and white, their forms inspired by temple friezes. Photo: K. V. Srinivasan

INDIA---G. Raman and Veerasanthanam are two senior Chennai artists, who have merged Indian shadow puppetry, with its craft, tradition and mythology, into the scheme of painting with a wonderful effervescence. To any Indian, Veerasanthanam’s themes will strike familiar and easy chords — the sacred Kamadhenu, the exotic tree of life, two figures hugging a tree and environmental concerns; as do G. Raman’s extrapolations recalling traditional art, pastoral scenes or street-life as a pair of bards travelling. What’s common between them is the vivid and unabated use of colour and intensity of line work. [link]

ree of LIfe by Veerasanthanam

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Why Jewish Artists Continue To Be Inspired by The Bible

THE JEWISH DAILY FORWARD
By Benjamin Ivry

Responding to Scripture: R.B. Kitaj was known to include Jewish content in his paintings.

ISRAEL---Art historian Samantha Baskind, author of, among others, “Raphael Soyer and the Search for Modern Jewish Art” and the Encyclopedia of Jewish American Artists, now tackles thorny problems of identity and representation in her latest book. “Jewish Artists and the Bible in Twentieth-Century America” asks why several modern American Jewish artists were inspired by biblical themes when their goyish contemporaries dismissed such imagery as “outmoded.” Their use of such imagery could involve complex, multilayered metaphors, and even included humor, yet always expressed a highly serious inner essence. [link]

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Islamic Art Works Displayed at Tehran Qur’an Exhibition

PRESS TV

The 22nd International Holy Qur’an Exhibition kicked off at the Sacred Defense Garden Museum on July 6

IRAN---Many Iranian and international artists have flocked to the 22nd International Holy Qur’an Exhibition in Tehran to showcase their latest creations, Press TV has reported. Representatives from 16 countries including Spain, Russia, Kuwait, Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Turkey and several other countries are displaying a variety of their works at the exhibit of this year. Iran’s international Qur’an exhibition which is annually held during the blessed month of Ramadan, aims at stimulating development and promotion in concepts of the holy Qur’an. [video]

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Artists from Japan, South Korea Team up for Buddhist Statue Exhibition in Nara

THE ASHAHI SHIMBUN
By Kazuto Tsulamoto

A Miroku-bosatsu Buddhist statue is surrounded by toy deer
in the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art in Nara. (Kazuto Tsukamoto)

JAPAN---A Japanese artist and his South Korean counterpart have joined forces to show how Buddhist culture was brought to Japan through the Korean Peninsula with a special exhibition featuring “Miroku-bosatsu” Buddhist statues. The work of 53-year-old sculptor Takashi Kikuchi and artist Park Dong-ki, 47, is currently on display at the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art. The statues are part of the special exhibition, “Beauty on the Edge--Contemporary Art Nara,” which will continue in the museum until July 21.[link]

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10-Day Islamic Art Exhibition Opens in Peshawar, Pakstan for Ramadan

THE NATION

The astounding collection includes copies of the Quran in various styles of
calligraphy dating back to the eras of long-forgotten emperors. PHOTO: PPI

PAKISTAN---A ten-day exhibition on “Islamic Calligraphy and Manuscripts”, organized by Directorate of Archaeology and Museums Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was inaugurated here on Saturday. Amjad Afridi, Advisor to Chief Minister on Sports, Tourism, Archaeology, Museums and Youth Affairs, opened the exhibition at a ceremony, held at Peshawar Museum. The exhibition will continue till the end of Ramazan. More than 105 pieces of calligraphic artwork artistically inscribed with selected verses from the Holy Quran were showcased at the Museum.[link]

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Demolition of Dolmens Continues Unfettered in Dannanapeta

THE TIMES OF INDIA

INDIA---The Dolmens of Dannanapeta, megalithic structures dating back to 1000 BC, could be lost forever unless something is done urgently by the state government to secure them, feel heritage conservationists. They are alarmed at the fact that almost a month after news reports highlighted the plight of such ancient sites in Srikakulam district, the authorities are yet to wake up and secure the once majestic dolmens. This particular site in Srikakulam district, which is one of the few megalithic sites in the world to be still standing, has been vandalized by locals and encroached upon by none other than the government. [link]

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As Israel Hits Mosque and Clinic, Air Campaign’s Risks Come Home

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By STEVEN ERLANGER

Damaged copies of Islam's holy book the Koran lie on the rubble from a destroyed mosque following an Israeli military strike in the Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on July 12, 2014.

ISRAEL---As Israel’s air war against Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters in Gaza entered its sixth day on Saturday, a pair of bombings threw the difficulties of the campaign into painful relief: Israel bombed a mosque, which its aerial photos indicated was harboring a weapons cache, and a center for the disabled, killing two residents and wounding three, as well as a caretaker. [link]

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India's National Museum Hosts First Art Exhibit by Private Donor

THE HINDU
By Ians

Some of the artefacts from South India on general display at the National Museum in New Delhi. Photo: R. V. Moorthy

INDIA---For the first time since its inception, the National Museum here will host an exhibition featuring artefacts from a private donor’s collection, an official said Tuesday. The month—long ‘A Passionate Eye’ exhibition will open Friday and showcase around 100 works from the private collection of art connoisseur C. L. Bharany and his father, all of which they collected from across India. Sculptures in stone, bronze and wood; paintings on paper and cloth; manuscripts and textiles from over the past two millennia will be shown in this exhibition curated by three experts. “It thus acknowledges one of many people who have helped gather items of our cultural heritage,” National Museum director general Venu V. said in a statement. “It highlights the role private collectors have played in enriching the nation’s public museums,” he added. [link]

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In God’s Shadow: New Delhi Gallery Explores Divinity in India's Eyes

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
By Poonam Goel

J Sultan Ali’s Nagapanchami

INDIA---At the Delhi Art Gallery, a show of paintings depicting gods and goddesses is an expansive study of how artists have been inspired by the ‘divine’ from the earliest of times. And even though earlier depiction of gods have been mostly ritualistic, over time they have grown into an art form that is appreciated for art’s sake. The show titled "Indian Divine: Gods & Goddesses in 20th Century Modern Art" exhibits nearly 200 artworks by 80 artists and begins with late 19th century art on mythological and religious themes from regions as diverse as Bombay and Bengal. [link]

Madhvi Parekh’s Last Supper

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