London design festival & Kengo Kuma at the V & A museum
Posted on September 24, 2019 by Toothpicker
Over the past few years, I have been quite disappointed with design industry's 'slow response' in tackling the sustainability issues, and felt the same way when I visited trade shows and exhibitions at the London design festival. Finally, things have changed this year. Sustainability and handmade crafts became the main focus of [...]
This post was posted in London, Architecture, Talks, Design festivals & shows, Traditional arts & crafts, Anything Japanese, Contemporary craft, Design, Contemporary, ceramics & potteries and was tagged with London, architecture, talks, contemporary crafts, London Design Festival, ceramics & potteries, sustainability, Kengo Kuma, V and A museum
A visit to the Biotech hub, Open Cell
Posted on September 16, 2019 by Toothpicker
Shepherds Bush market
In the last few years, we are hearing more of the terms 'biodesign' and 'biotech', but is it a fad or a breakthrough that will change our world? Recently, I joined a design-oriented walk called 'Human: Biophilia in community and design' organised by the Design Museum and curated by Something [...]
This post was posted in London, British design, Fashion, Eco living & sustainability, Social issues, Designers & artists, Design, Textiles, sustainability, Biodesign and was tagged with London, eco designs, British design, sustainability, biodesign, Open cell
A visionary's mind: Stanley Kubrick exhibition at the Design Museum
Posted on September 6, 2019 by Toothpicker
Although I haven't seen all the art and design exhibitions in London this year, but out of all the ones that I have seen, I would say the Stanley Kubrick exhibition is the cream of the crop (alongside with Christian Dior at the V & A); it is certainly the best exhibition [...]
This post was posted in London, Exhibitions, Photography, Films & documentaries, Graphics & illustrations, Art, Design, contemporary and was tagged with London, art and design exhibitions, photography, films, graphic design, illustrations, design museum, Stanley Kubrick, des
Wong Ping: Heart Digger at Camden Arts Centre, London
Posted on August 30, 2019 by Toothpicker
One of my favourite art organisations in London is the Camden Arts Centre. The reason is quite simple: they are not mainstream, and they always take risks. While many famous art institutions like the Royal Academy of Art and the Tate rely heavily on big names and blockbuster shows, Camden Arts Centre [...]
This post was posted in London, Exhibitions, Social issues, Art, Videos & animations, Politics, contemporary, Hong Kong art and was tagged with London, art and design exhibitions, animations, videos, contemporary art, Camden Arts Centre, Hong Kong art, Wong Ping
William Morris' Red House in Bexleyheath
Posted on August 25, 2019 by Toothpicker
Architecture in Bexleyheath
Although I live in London, there are still many areas of the city that I am unfamiliar with or have never been to. I have long wanted to visit William Morris' former residence Red House in Bexleyheath, but somehow never got round to it. Since August is a quiet [...]
This post was posted in London, Architecture, British design, Nature, Art, Traditional arts & crafts, Gardens & parks, Architectural conservation, Designers & artists, Design, British art, British heritage and was tagged with London, architecture, nature, gardens, British design, heritage, William Morris, Architectural conservation, arts & crafts movements, Red House
"An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik" exhibition at the Wallace Collection
Posted on August 18, 2019 by Toothpicker
One might expect museums like V & A or the Design Museum to dedicate an exhibition on the world’s most famous shoe designer, Manolo Blahnik. Yet the "An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik" exhibition opened at The Wallace Collection, a smaller and less well-known museum converted from an opulent 18th century [...]
This post was posted in London, Exhibitions, British design, Fashion, Contemporary craft, Design and was tagged with art and design exhibitions, fashion, British design, contemporary crafts, Manolo Blahnik, shoes, Wallace Collection
Sustainable fashion and textiles - it's not too late to change.
Posted on August 11, 2019 by Toothpicker
Fashioned from Nature exhibition at The V & A museum
It is time to face the truth: the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. This is not fake news, it is a fact.
Confession 1: I am guilty of polluting the environment, and I have been doing [...]
This post was posted in Exhibitions, Shopping, Shopping guide, Fashion, Films & documentaries, Eco designs, Eco living & sustainability, Social issues, Design, Pollution & environment, sustainability and was tagged with art and design exhibitions, fashion, eco designs, eco living, Shopping guide, pollution, sustainability
The art of paper: folding, pleating and manipulation
Posted on July 1, 2019 by Toothpicker
Unlike children today, when I think of my childhood, paper played a crucial role in my early days. Aside from drawing on paper, I collected paper bookmarks, writing paper, and stickers; I dressed up paper dolls with my classmates after school; I did origami and paper cutouts; I learned calligraphy and practised [...]
This post was posted in London, Paper art & craft, Contemporary craft and was tagged with London, origami, paper craft, contemporary crafts, textiles, paper art, paper engineering, learning
LCW 19: Creative Inspiration Walk - Text in the City
Posted on June 26, 2019 by Toothpicker
How many of us pay attention to the text and typography around us in the city? When we are rushing around the city, we tend to miss what is right under our noses. During the London Craft week, I joined the "Creative Inspiration Walk: Text in the City" organised by The Goldsmiths [...]
This post was posted in London, British design, Graphics & illustrations, Art, Traditional arts & crafts, Contemporary craft, Hiking & walking, Gardens & parks, Design, British art, Typography, British heritage, Sculptures and was tagged with London, walks, graphic design, gardens, British design, heritage, contemporary crafts, British art, sculptures, contemporary art, typography, marble carving, carving, public art
LCW 19: 'Inscribed: The Craft of Cutting Letters'
Posted on June 22, 2019 by Toothpicker
In my opinion, typography is the most underappreciated design field often neglected by the public. The term typography can be defined as the style, arrangement, and appearance of letters, numbers, and symbols; it is a means of visual communication. We are surrounded by all kinds of fonts in our daily lives, yet [...]
This post was posted in London, Exhibitions, British design, Calligraphy, Graphics & illustrations, Traditional arts & crafts, Contemporary craft, Design, Typography, Carving and was tagged with London, graphic design, traditional crafts, contemporary crafts, typography, calligraphy, The Goldsmiths Centre, engraving, carving