Author: Megan Foster

Fariba Safai’s art is deeply personal, shaped by her journey across cultural and emotional landscapes. Born in Tehran, Iran, she experienced the seismic shifts of the Iranian Revolution firsthand. Her migration to California marked a new chapter, where the surrounding natural beauty became both a refuge and a source of inspiration. Safai’s paintings draw from these lived experiences, offering a layered narrative of resilience and self-expression. Her work captures the tension of living between two worlds, weaving elements of her heritage with the perspectives she gained abroad. With a design degree from SFSU and a BFA in sculpture from California College…

In the world of contemporary art, self-taught artists often bring a unique and refreshing perspective to their craft. Stormie Steele is a great example of such an artist, whose journey through personal and spiritual growth has deeply intertwined with her creative expression. Her artwork and her approach to life share a common theme—embracing the beauty of the imperfect and learning from the transformative journey of existence. Stormie’s art is not just a visual experience; it is a philosophical exploration into the depths of life’s challenges and the hidden riches they contain. She views life’s hurdles as catalysts for transformation, believing that the…

Vandorn Hinnant, born in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1953, is a distinguished artist whose career spans several decades, encompassing a wide range of mediums and thematic explorations. His work is a testament to his profound understanding of art, science, and spirituality, merging these fields into compelling visual narratives. Hinnant’s artistic journey began in Greensboro, where he was born and raised. He pursued his passion for art by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Design from North Carolina A & T State University. Further honing his skills, he studied sculpture at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. This…

Sabrina Puppin is a visual artist whose works have been exhibited across the globe. Her creations are marked by hyper-colorful, shimmering abstract arrangements that challenge the perception of reality while expressing her emotions and daydreams. Puppin’s art is more than visual; it invites viewers to engage deeply, to reflect on its meaning, and to feel its energy. Her artwork has been displayed in museums and galleries, including the Museum of Kyoto in Japan and the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Other exhibitions span the USA, UK, Qatar, Germany, and beyond. Puppin’s contributions include participation in events such as…

In this monthly roundup, we spotlight five star exhibitions at small and up-and-coming galleries around the world. Although he first trained as a sculptor, Thai artist Pawarest (Doe) Choksaen worked as an art director for an advertising agency from 1997 to 2019. Only at the age of 49 did the artist decide to practice his art. the time Currently exhibiting solo at Richard Koh Fine Art, Choksaen presents a series of figurative paintings in “Conversations with Strangers” where he uses a palette of electrifying hues to illustrate fleeting, often forgotten moments of connection with others. Inspired by his community in…

New York-based artist Tschabalala Self and Romanian-American sculptor Andra Ursuţa have won the Fourth Plinth Award. The Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group chaired by Ekow Eshun selected the two artists from a shortlist of seven artists. The sculptures will be presented on the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square in 2026 and 2028, respectively. Self, known for his depictions of the female form in media such as paint and fabric, won for Lady in Blue. This bronze sculpture is a tribute to young metropolitan women of color, inspired to capture the “everywoman” of today, and will be patinated in blue lapis…

After decades as a representational painter, in her seventies Alma Thomas turned to abstraction, creating shimmering, mosaic like fields of color with rhythmic dabs of paint that were often inspired by forms from nature. The artist had been fascinated with space exploration since the late 1960s, and her later paintings often referenced America’s manned Apollo missions to the moon. Although she had never flown, Thomas began to paint as if she were in an airplane, capturing what she described as shifting patterns of light and streaks of color. “You look down on things,” she explained. “You streak through the clouds…

“With just one polka dot, a painting can become a work of art” Yayoi Kusama’s monumental and immersive installations are famous worldwide! Her works have inspired artists such as Carolee Schneemann, Yoko Ono, and Damien Hirst. They have also been exhibited by the most prominent contemporary art institutions including the MoMA in New York, the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, and the Venice Biennale. Born in 1929 in Nagano, Japan, Yayoi Kusama began drawing when she was a child. She started having hallucinations very early. After once having looked at a flowered tablecloth, she looked up to the ceiling and realized that she…

Ricardo Scofidio, an architect who helped reshape the museum landscape in the US, died on Thursday at 89. His death was announced by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the firm he founded with his wife Elizabeth Diller in 1997. Working alongside Diller and firm partner Charles Renfro, Scofidio worked on many US museum projects, from the Museum of Modern Art‘s 2019 expansion to a building for the Broad, the Los Angeles private museum of collectors Eli and Edythe Broad. The firm’s various projects included any number of projects that were not museums: Lincoln Center, redesigned with new outdoor spaces at a cost of $1 billion;…

In a cramped basement space in New York’s SculptureCenter in early February, ventriloquist Sophia Becker adjusted the metal legs of a doll with long black hair, a single guarache made from metal, and an underwear-like piece made from medical materials that looks oddly fashionable. “Oh god that feels good,” the doll chirped in a girlish voice, before complaining that she’s stiff from a lack of play. “The lookers come but they don’t touch. I wish they would touch!” Becker was on hand for a one-night-only performance activating the exhibition, “Ideal Space for Music,” by Mexico-based artist-duo Hanya Beliá and Matias Armendaris, better known…