Photo: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

Cleaning campaigns are good news for the environment. But thanks to one of such missions in Kazakhstan, fans of archeology also have something to be excited about. During a cleanup in the the Zhambyl (or Jambyl) region, volunteers came across about 100 petroglyphs, dating back to the Bronze or Iron ages, roughly 3,500 years ago.

After the rock art was spotted, local archeologists were brought in to examine them. Petroglyphs are engravings created by chipping away at a rock face, done thousands of years ago. The ones recently found in Kazakhstan depict both hunters and animals, such as double-humped camels and argali (a type of wild sheep). The rock art was spotted in an area that is 66 feet to 82 feet long and 5 feet to 6.6 feet high per Sauran Kaliyev, an archeologist interviewed by local outlet Astana Times.

However, it appears that it's not the first time academics have heard about this place. Kazakh archeologist Viktor Novozhenov, an archeologist with the Saryarka Archaeological Institute who was not part of the cleanup, said in an interview with Live Science that the site is “not at all new.”

The archeologist added that the site has not been examined thoroughly, nor has the rock art been documented in a peer-reviewed journal. The main obstacle to this is the lack of funding needed to properly record these petroglyphs. “We don't have enough experts and funds for needed analyses and [fieldwork],” he confesses.

That's why, when Kazakh archeologists uncover new rock art, they prefer to keep the location a secret until it can be documented. On top of the need for resources, one of the main challenges in studying such sites is their potential destruction by vandals or other individuals.

For now, local officials will continue to examine the site. “We will continue our research and conduct a state examination as we intend to designate it a site of national or international significance to be included in the list of state-protected sites,” says Kuanysh Daurenbekov, director of the Directorate for the Protection and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments.

During a cleanup in the the Zhambyl (or Jambyl) region of Kazakhstan, volunteers came across about a 100 petroglyphs, dating to the Bronze or Iron ages, roughly 3,500 years ago.

Photo: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

The rock art was spotted in an area that is 66 feet to 82 feet long and 5 feet to 6.6 feet, and depict both hunters and animals, such as double-humped camels and wild sheep.

Photo: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

h/t: [LiveScience]

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READ: Volunteers Uncover 3,500-Year-Old Rock Art During Environmental Cleanup in Kazakhstan

Nowadays, there are a wide range of speakers available in different shapes, colors, and materials to suit every style. But despite all the models available in stores, a clever crafter has come up with something truly unique that you won’t find in stores. Content creator Mohsen Shirmohammadi, best known for his YouTube channel Penguin DIY, created a bluetooth speaker…inside a walnut!

Shirmohammadi, a mechatronic enthusiast, creates quirky gadgets from unexpected items. To show how he makes it all work, he captures his process in detailed videos. For example, in the walnut bluetooth speaker video, we see him go from polishing the inside walls of the walnut, to installing a rearranging tiny 5 V power bank module to make it fit inside the shell.

In one half of the walnut shell, the crafter stacks and fits a MH-MH18 Bluetooth audio module and an HXJ8002 mini audio amplifier module, managing to extend the LEDs and wire them up despite the lack of room. On the other side of the compact space, he fits a 4Ω 2 W mini speaker. For the sound to come out, the content creator drills a series of little holes in the shell. As finishing touches, he installs three tiny switches for play/pause, previous and next track, and volume control.

“From the choice of the perfect walnut shell to the installation of modules, amplifiers speakers, and a rechargeable battery, this project is a fusion of nature and technology,” writes the imaginative inventor. “Join us on this unique journey of creativity and innovation. Don't miss out on this extraordinary walnut shell speaker project—a must-watch for DIY enthusiasts and music aficionados!”

To stay up to date with Shirmohammadi's latest creations, you can subscribe to Penguin DIY's YouTube channel.

Penguin DIY: YouTube

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READ: Watch a Clever Designer Turn a Walnut Into a Bluetooth Speaker

@konel_bread いつか本物を捌けるように、、。#手作りパン#bread#鮪#マグロ#tuna#マグロの解体ショー #konel ♬ 情熱大陸 – Ryoma Quartet

The “Is It Cake?” trend has left many people scratching their heads due to the level of detail pastry chefs can achieve with fondant. Now, a bakery seems to have taken this concept in a new direction by asking their followers, “Is it bread?” Japanese baker Ran, better known as Konel Bread, creates detailed loaves of bread that look like a myriad of animals and characters. However, her most fascinating works may be her seafood-inspired buns. Not only do the loaves look like actual fish, but the inside will make you do a double-take.

One of the best examples of this is her tuna fish loaf of bread. The bun has all the features of the sea critter—from the bit of skin on its side where the blueish and white colors meet to one bulgy eye. It looks great from the outside, but the true magic is inside the loaf. When the baker takes a knife and slices the fish-like bread open, it reveals a detailed skeleton and “meat” in realistic shades of pink and red. If it weren't for this holes in the bread, visible when you zoom in a bit, you could easily mistake the loaf for an actual fish.

The ocean seems to be a frequent source of inspiration for Konel Bread, as she has created other fishy loaves worth noting. For example, her pufferfish bread, complete with retracted spines, emulates a curry dish inside, while her pastries inspired by the tiny willow leaf fish are cut to reveal what look like eggs. The baker also offers buns with a fun twist, including a buff crab.

When she’s not producing sea-inspired products, Ran taps into her quirkier side, giving life to all kind of imaginative bread creations, many of which hold equally charming reveals. If you thought anything could be made out of cake, just wait until bakers take the challenge of recreating items with bread.

To stay up to date with this creative baker, you can follow Konel Bread on TikTok.

Japanese baker Ran, better known as Konel Bread, creates detailed loaves of bread that look like all different types of animals.

@konel_bread Avocado bread！#Avocado #bread#konelbread#手作りパン ♬ Cooking – AShamaluevMusic

@konel_bread スポンジ？パン？#スポンジボブ #spongebob #yummmy ♬ SpongeBob SquarePants Theme – Painty The Pirate and Kids

@konel_bread 鮭をさばいてく！#手作りパン#鮭#解体#bread#salmon#fish ♬ ナニコレ珍百景のテーマ(展覧会の絵) – サウンドワークス

The baker’s creations can sometimes leave viewers wondering, “Is it bread?”

@konel_bread ほたてパン、、#手作りパン#帆立#ほたて#貝#ホタテ料理 #bread#breakfast ♬ ガチやべぇじゃん – P丸様。

The ocean and marine life seem to be a frequent source of inspiration for her bread loaves.

@konel_bread 色んな魚を捌きたい欲が止まらない。#手作りパン#カレエ#カレーパン#魚#bread#curry ♬ Indian style BGM – sounds-banana

@konel_bread 自分をもっと好きになる！#手作りパン#かにぱん #筋トレ#筋肉#RIZAP#ライザップ#ダイエット ♬ 気分を高める – 筋トレ大好きマスター

Sometimes her loaves look like actual sea creatures from the outside, but the inside will make you do a double-take.

@konel_bread しないかも。#手作りパン#パン#shishamo #ししゃも#bread#fish ♬ Ryousangata Kareshi – SHISHAMO

@konel_bread 珍百景に登録！ならず。。#手作りパン#パン#たこ #タコ#蛸##bread#octopus #吸盤 ♬ ナニコレ珍百景のテーマ(展覧会の絵) – サウンドワークス

And when Konel Bread not producing sea-inspired products, the baker taps into her quirkier side, giving life to all kinds of imaginative bread creations.

@konel_bread ガイコツではないはず。。#手作りパン#スヌーピー#bread#Peanuts#ピーナッツ#落花生 ♬ Snoopy – Les Dagobert

@konel_bread ゲームボーイわかるかなぁ？#手作りパン#カービィ#ゲームボーイ#Nintendo#任天堂 ♬ Green Greens (From “Kirby's Dream Land”) – Qumu

@konel_bread 腹筋板チョコバレンタイン♡ #手作りパン#筋肉くまパン#バレンタイン#ロッテ#ガーナ#bread ♬ ハピチョコ – FRUITS ZIPPER

@konel_bread カビゴンのお腹で昼寝したい　#手作りパン#カビゴン#ポケモン#ポケモンスリープ#poke #snorlax ♬ めざせポケモンマスター Originally Performed By 松本梨香 （オルゴール） – Orgel Sound J-Pop

@konel_bread これは量型アンパンマン　#手作りパン#アンパンマン#朝ごはん#bread#anpanman ♬ アンパンマンのマーチ （それいけ!アンパンマン OP） – maikee

@konel_bread 初めて歯が抜けた記念日#手作りパン#乳歯#歯#歯茎#入れ歯#tooth#bread#tootghbread ♬ Epic Hollywood Movie Epic Orchestra – M.S.Music

@konel_bread 交換した時の古い顔はジャムおじさんが保管。#手作りパン#アンパンマン#ジャムおじさん#ジャムおじさんのパン工場 ♬ アンパンマンのマーチ （それいけ!アンパンマン OP） – maikee

Konel Bread: Facebook | TikTok | YouTube
h/t: [Laughing Squid]

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READ: Baker Designs Loaf of Bread To Look Just Like a Tuna Fish, Especially When You Slice It Open

Gold is most often found in jewelry and coins, but that's far from the limit of its creative possibilities. Lin Chao, a China-based shop specializing in gold, creates a myriad of highly detailed items. Making sure to capture the entire crafting process on video, the public can see that many of their pieces begin as a humble sheet of metal, reminding us that sometimes the real preciousness lies in the work of artisans that spend years honing their craft.

One of the best examples of this is a gold teapot that has charmed many around the world. At first, it's easy not to think much of an irregularly shaped piece of metal. But after being carefully cutting it into a circle, the real magic begins. Armed with a hammer and a welding torch, the gold begins to take shape in the artisan's hands. Once the basic form is achieved, the jeweler initiates the decoration process, carving out some details and adding others by cutting and forging smaller pieces together.

“This is a gold ware [where] we cannot afford to make mistakes. Starting from the ‘one-piece' process, the splendor of this work will be presented bit by bit with every knock,” writes the company. “Originality is life and love to us. Behind every proud work is repeated torture, which challenges the height of craftsmanship, incorporates new techniques, and also makes breakthroughs in patterns. Each time is a brand new Linchao.”

The gold teapot has a steep price tag that matches both the material and the craftsman’s thorough work. Since it contains between 450 and 500 grams (1 and 1.1 pound) of gold, it retails for ¥600,000 or $84,000. “This Yangyang Zesheng handle pot strives for change in both the format and design thinking,” explains Linchao. “Breaking the inertial thinking of engraving patterns, the pockmark engraving that is generally used on all sides to highlight the main pattern is changed to filling in the pattern, and the dense pockmarks collide with the elegance of the entire pot surface, and the high-end texture emerges spontaneously. Although it is a subtle subversion, it can also present a stunning visual charm.”

Beyond the gold teapot, other objects Linchao has produced are goblets, lockets, and bas-relief pendants. No matter the size or the shape, one thing is certain—these pieces belong in a museum. To stay up to date with their creations, take a look at Lin Chao’s BiliBili channel.

Lin Chao, a China-based shop specializing in gold jewelry, creates a myriad of highly detailed items.

One of their most visually astounding pieces circulating online is of an ornate teapot.

Making sure to capture the entire crafting process on video, the public can see that many of their pieces begin as a humble sheet of metal.

Their process reminds us that sometimes the real preciousness lies in the work of artisans that spend years honing their craft.

Linchao: BiliBili | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook

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Artist Upcycles Scrap Metal Into a Majestic Menagerie of Animal Sculptures

READ: Watch How This Artisan Turns a Single Sheet of Gold Into an Ornate Teapot

Some people love their hometowns so much, they want to preserve their heritage and tell the rest of the world everything about it. While many do this by becoming tour guides or simply documenting their city's splendor through photography, one British man's effort is even more commendable. Artist Maurice Ivor Birch spent 54 years drawing the town of Aldridge on a 100-foot-long roll of paper.

Birch bought the oversized paper roll in 1969, and only finished his visual love letter to his hometown in 2023. He paid 10 shillings for the scroll at a car boot sale with hopes of entertaining his then 4-year-old son. “I thought ‘I'm having that' because I used to do little cartoon sketches of animals and [creepy crawlies] for my son to color in and it seemed ideal,” he told The Daily Mail.

Now 82 years old, Birch turned this art project into a five-decade-long hobby. “I thought I would tear them off but as I began to draw on it, I couldn't bring myself to rip it up. After doing about 80 sketches, I thought ‘what else can I do now?'” That's when he decided to draw buildings of Aldridge, as he has lived his whole life there. “I thought I'd keep the scroll intact but sketch the local buildings for posterity as so many have long disappeared from the landscape.”

The scroll now features 320 drawings of historic buildings in both ink and pencil. Since no city stays the same for long, Birch's drawings include pubs, hotels, shops, and cottages that no longer exist—many of which he actually drew from memory. Overall, he spent 2,560 hours, or 106 days, mixing the lost construction of yesteryear with the way Aldridge looks today.

Since it would be hard for everyone to browse the same scroll, Birch's work has been turned into a book aptly titled Aldridge on a Roll. “Hopefully it will be a legacy showing the way Aldridge used to be,” the man says. “It was the most beautiful village when I was a boy. It's still a lovely place to live and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else but many of the buildings have gone. I've always wished my children could see Aldridge as it was and this way they sort of can.”

Artist Maurice Ivor Birch spent 54 years drawing the town of Aldridge on a 100 feet roll of paper.

[archiveorg isbn_9781844918430 width=560 height=384 frameborder=0 webkitallowfullscreen=true mozallowfullscreen=true]

h/t: [Laughing Squid]

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READ: British Man Spends 54 Years Drawing His Hometown on 100-Foot-Long Roll of Paper

Melipona beecheii or Xunan-Kab. (Photo: gailhampshire via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

In the ancient Maya civilization animals played a very important role. Not only were they a source of meat, hides, and feathers, but they also held religious symbolic importance. Among them, was the cultivation of sacred stingless bees (known as Xunan-Kab in Mayan) to produce honey for food, trading, and ceremonies. Records of this can be found in centuries-old codices and recently, a team of archeologists unearthed tools used by Maya beekeepers between 950 and 1539 CE.

The discovery took place in the southeastern state of Quintana Roo during construction work for the Maya train. There, archeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History uncovered three carved limestone lids, known as panuchos. Once used by the Maya to plug the hollowed-out logs that housed their bees, these items measure about 8 by 10 inches.

“Only one of them is in a good state of conservation, while the other two have a high degree of erosion,” says archeologist Carlos Fidel Martínez Sánchez. He also shared that the discovery took place when excavating what was thought to be a wall made of dry stone. But upon finding the lids, the archeologists realized they had found the remains of a meliponary—that is, an apiary devoted to the Melipona beecheii, an endangered bee species that continues to be cultivated in the Yucatán peninsula to this day.

The absence of a sting is not the only thing that makes melipona bees special. Their honey has been used by Maya healers to treat respiratory, digestive, and postpartum conditions for centuries thanks to its antioxidant and inflammation-reduction properties. It also has a citrusy, floral flavor and a runnier, syrupy texture, and contains more fructose than glucose, which has caught the attention of foodies and chefs from around the world. However, since there are smaller amounts of it, a lot more bees are needed for its production.

In addition to the apiary stone lids, the archeologists found other items at the site, such as beads, ceramics, flint, an ax, and a hammer. To lead archeologist Raquel Liliana Hernández Estrada, the discovery points to presence of housing complexes in peripheral cities to ceremonial sites. Moreover, the artifacts found shed a light not on the ancient elites of the region, but rather the Maya commoners’ daily lives.

Did you know the ancient Maya practiced beekeeping?

 

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Una publicación compartida por arqueomayagt (@arqueomayagt)

Recently, a team of Mexican archeologists unearthed tools used by Maya beekeepers between 950 and 1539 CE.

Photo: Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History

The discovery included three carved limestone lids called panuchos, which the Maya used to plug the hollowed-out logs that housed their bees.

Photo: Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History

Upon finding the lids, the archeologists' realized they had found the remains of a meliponary, an apiary devoted to the sacred stingless bee, Melipona beecheii.

Photo: Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History

National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH): Website
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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READ: Archeologists Unearth Ancient Maya Beekeeping Tools in Southeastern Mexico

 

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Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

Even the most mundane objects you come across every day has great untapped potential. Artist Gab Bois knows this all too well. By looking into the meaning and origins of common things, she emerges with a surrealist composition that turns objects into so much more than what they are known for. Bois' sharp eye for design and creative touch unveils the double identities of everyday items.

The Montreal-based artist's work is powered by her boundless imagination. And it's only through a very open heart and mind that she gets to subvert all the objects she uses into a museum-worthy piece. “Influenced by childhood experiences of playing pretend, she brings a distinct element of fantasy to her body of bizarre tableaux and whimsical props,” reads her website. “Her unique visual language, informed by design, fashion, pop culture and advertising, approaches the mundane with a sharp sense of humor.”

In her deft hands, a couple dozen credit cards become a fashionably colorful tube top and a horde of turtle plushies is seen with fresh eyes as a green turtleneck. Unconventional accessories are also aplenty in Bois' work, whether a money clip is reimagined as a hair clip—with a dollar bill included—or a pair of croissants are turned into high heel shoes. Some of the multidisciplinary artist's most striking pieces are arguably those that include home appliances, such as a chandelier made of colorful dice or a lounge chair composed of woven seat belts.

This vision has led Bois to launch her own fashion imprint, incorporating unexpected elements to garments and their complements. The heels of her Clementine pump cleverly emulate a fruit, while the rhubarb purse looks like a freshly picked leaf bent into shape.

“Her work is a place where the double entendre of hyperrealism and the commonness of the familiar object happily coexist,” Bois' website states. “Through her imagery, the artist challenges the viewer to question what they are seeing while at the same time modifying their perception of reality. Having a deep interest in paradox, Bois positions her work at the intersection of reality and simulation, futurism and nostalgia, affect and object.”

To stay up to date with Bois' work, follow Bois on Instagram.

By looking into the meaning and origins of common things, visual artist Gab Bois emerges with surreal compositions.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

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A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

Her work turns ordinary objects into so much more than what they are known for.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

It's like suddenly every item you've ever seen has a double identity—and a very cool one.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

Bois' work is powered by her boundless imagination. And it's only through a very open heart and mind that she gets to subvert all the objects she uses into a museum-worthy piece.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

“Influenced by childhood experiences of playing pretend, she brings a distinct element of fantasy to her body of bizarre tableaux and whimsical props.”

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

“Her unique visual language, informed by design, fashion, pop culture and advertising, approaches the mundane with a sharp sense of humor.”

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

This vision has led Bois to launch her own fashion imprint, incorporating unexpected elements to garments and their complements.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

“Her work is a place where the double entendre of hyperrealism and the commonness of the familiar object happily coexist.”

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gab Bois (@gabbois)

Gab Bois: Website | Instagram

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Torn cushions, scuffed up carpets, and scratched furniture—many cat owners know this sight all too well. For some pet parents, this is simply seen as their beloved cat's claw maintenance. It can't be helped! Still, there seems to be a better outlet for your kitty to file their claws—with a chance of you even celebrating what they've done. Luckily, industrial designer Zhenyang Yan of Shanghai-based company Livelyhood LTD. has designed Catvas, a scratching pad for cats to claw at and express themselves on, resulting in a one-of-a-kind piece of art you can actually hang on your wall.

Catvas challenges the idea that cat scratching posts and pads are lowly consumables bound for the trash can once they've been used throughly. Instead, they can be mementos of your cat's life in a way that a photograph could never capture. After all, cats leave pheromones while scratching, creating a sense of territory and emotional connection with the object they've scratched. It is also what keeps them healthy as it not only removes the outer layer of their nails, but also helps them vent their emotions.

To make this idea work, Catvas has a double layer of fabric that results in colorful designs as cats scratch to their heart's content. When enough time (and scratching) has passed, the color underneath will begin to show in a unique pattern. The L-shaped structure is designed to fit the natural stretching habits of cats, with the removable panels allowing for easy replacement. Once done, you can frame the panels and be proud of what your cat has made.

What's best, Catvas is constructed from mostly recyclable materials, including wood, aluminum, and fabric made from old cloth and mycorrhiza. To make it easier for cats to scratch it and for you to get a cool design, the top layer is thinner than the bottom one. It also has easy-to-assemble components, significantly reducing packaging costs and waste.

This clever conception has been awarded the 2024 Iron A' Design Award in Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design. “Catvas is a new pet product that reshapes scratching from a destructive behavior into a creative process,” writes A' Design Award. “It gives both people and cats the chance to co-create their living spaces together.”

Catvas is a scratching pad you can easily turn in into wall art once your cat has left its marks on it.

Rather than being seen as consumables, Catvas proposes that scratching posts can be mementos of your cat's life in a way that a photograph could never capture.

To make this idea work, Catvas has a double layer of fabric that results in colored “brushstrokes” as cats scratch to their heart's content.

When enough time (and scratching) has passed, the color underneath will begin to show in a unique pattern.

Zhenyang Yan: Behance | LinkedIn
h/t: [Yanko Design]

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“The Flying African” (2019) 16” x 24” Archival inkjet print

Darkness is a challenge for many photographers. A badly lit room can ruin an image, and the absence of light can make it impossible for the camera to capture anything at all. What if darkness was not only a resource but also a meaningful vessel? Multimedia artist Mikael Owunna turns the principles of photography on its head to bring ancient African folklore to light in his new exhibition titled Imagine Fresh Darkness. The show features 19 images from his groundbreaking photographic series Infinite Essence.

While photography is mostly used to capture a moment as seen by our eyes, Owunna has taken it to its etymological origins to create something more. “[Infinite Essence] redefines conventional notions of photography, which from its Greek roots—photos (light) and graphos (drawing)—is often understood as ‘drawing with light,'” states Blue Sky Gallery, which houses the exhibition. “However, Owunna’s approach subverts this foundational concept by utilizing ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the naked eye, to reveal and draw from the ‘blackness' or darkness itself.”

To achieve this, Owunna built custom camera equipment that captures the fluorescence of nude painted bodies under UV light. In turn, his images aim to reveal a spectral vision of humanity that puts African cosmological narratives in the spotlight—drawing a connection between two entities invisible to the human eye and standard photographic equipment.

“The title Imagine Fresh Darkness challenges the viewer to reconceive darkness not as the absence of light but as a profound presence, teeming with unseen energies and narratives,” says the gallery. “In Owunna’s work, darkness becomes a canvas revealing the luminous and transcendent potential of the Black body, portrayed through a process that draws from the very essence of invisibility and blackness.”

Parting from the common thread of Black bodies shining under UV light, Owunna simultaneously explores a handful of intersecting cosmogonies and elevates his subjects into deity-like figures. For example, his image The Flying African is inspired by the enslaved Africans who escaped bondage by taking flight and returning to their African homelands, while Mmadu (The Enlightened One) presents an element from the Igbo way of life. “In this cosmology, the beauty of life is in becoming a fully realized, spiritually enlightened individual, an ‘enlightened one' who is deeply connected to and draws on the primordial blackness of the Igbo creator god Chukwu.”

Imagine Fresh Darkness is on view at Blue Sky Gallery, Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts in Portland through June 29, 2024. To stay up to date with the artist's work, you can follow  Owunna on Instagram.

Multimedia artist Mikael Owunna turns the principles of photography to bring ancient African folklore to light in his new exhibition.

“Go Sa (Sister of the Dance)” (2019) 24” x 16” Archival inkjet print

Titled Imagine Fresh Darkness, it features 19 images from his groundbreaking photographic series Infinite Essence.

“Nommo Semi, Guardian of Space” (2019) 16” x 24” Archival inkjet print

“Infinite Essence redefines conventional notions of photography, which from its Greek roots—photos (light) and graphos (drawing)—is often understood as ‘drawing with light.'”

“Amma’s Womb” (2019) 24” x 16” Archival inkjet print

“However, Owunna’s approach subverts this foundational concept by utilizing ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the naked eye, to reveal and draw from the ‘blackness' or darkness itself.”

“Mmadu (The Enlightened One)” (2019) 16” x 24” Archival inkjet print

To achieve this, Owunna built custom camera equipment that captures the fluorescence of nude painted bodies under UV light.

In turn, his images aim to reveal a spectral vision of humanity that puts African cosmological narratives in the spotlight

Imagine Fresh Darkness is on view at Blue Sky Gallery, Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts in Portland through June 29, 2024.

Mikael Owunna: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Blue Sky Gallery.

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READ: Artist Uses UV Light to “Photograph” the Invisible and Bring Ancient African Folklore Into the Light

 

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Una publicación compartida por Wisdom Kaye (@wisdm)

When looking up the history of fashion, it's almost irresistible to browse through that various styles of garments made for women over the years. Tracing the history of female fashion is a colorful adventure filled with diverse silhouettes. Unbeknownst to many, male fashion history can be just as compelling. And no one has made a better case for this than multi-hyphenate model-stylist-photographer Wisdom Kaye. The stylish young man has compiled an insightful “High Fashion Time Travel” video, going back thousands of years—and even daring to peek into the future—to show the evolution of male outfits.

Kaye begins his fashion voyage in a place rarely regarded for the clothes of the time—the year 10,000 BCE, or the Paleolithic era. But rather than commissioning a bespoke outfit or turning to a museum archive, the model recreates the furs and capes of the era with garments designed and sold by contemporary luxury retailers. In fact, he does so for every decade, century, and millennia he showcases.

After 10,000 BCE, Kaye's fashion timeline skips forward to the age of empires and ostentatious robes before showing us suits from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, like the ones depicted in museum portraits and historical documents. After the turn of the 20th century, Kaye relishes in slowing down and savoring the intricacies of each decade's fashion, even showing how outfits evolved every few years. It's as if he's challenging the notion of 70s or 90s fashion and conveying how intricate and mutating they were.

Towards the end of his voguish video, he presents how outfits have changed before our eyes over the last couple of decades. His fashion expertise captures the evolution in broad strokes—something that's hard to notice happening, when you're in the middle of it all or if you're not a fashion connoisseur. As the cherry on top, he takes a few seconds to predict the fashion of the years 3000 and 3333—the latter much more experimental than the former. With a little luck, just like he nailed each look from the past, he will ace his vision of the future.

To stay up to date with his daily fashion and creative styling, you can follow Kaye on Instagram and TikTok, where he often experiments with looks inspired by followers' requests.

Wisdom Kaye is an extremely stylish model who shares his fashionable everyday looks.

 

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He has made a name for himself as a man who expresses himself and his passions through fashion.

 

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Kaye also shows how to translate pop culture favorites into wearable fashion.

 

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@wisdm8 Replying to @west ♬ original sound – Wisdom Kaye

@wisdm8 Replying to @user9381720148560 ♬ original sound – Wisdom Kaye

His knowledge of fashion history is apparent in the way he styles himself.

@wisdm8When y’all thought i was 30 when i was 19♬ original sound – Wisdom Kaye

 

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Given his expertise in style, he can even make skinny jeans look cool.

 

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In one of his most impressive compilations, Kaye time travels through history, showing how men's fashion has evolved over the centuries and even millennia.

@wisdm8 Replying to @Richmond okeke ♬ original sound – Wisdom Kaye

Wisdom Kaye: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

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READ: Stylish Guy Shows How Male Fashion Has Evolved Over the Last 12,000 Years