Environment
August 16, 2015

Mountainside Memorial Features 100 Blooming Gardens That Change with the Seasons

On an island in the Hyogo Prefecture within the memorial city of Awaji, there's an array of buildings and green space known as Awaji Yumebutai. This complex, which was created in the mid-1990s by architect Tadao Ando, was originally designed to sit on the side of a mountain–an area that had previously been excavated for landfill development–as a natural space where people could gather.

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Art
August 14, 2015

Intricate "Candle Carving" Forms Blooming Designs with Layered Wax

The time-honored tradition of candle making has an often-unheard of style known as “candle carving.” Originally an old German craft, this particular approach highlights the inner beauty that lies beneath the candle's surface. It uses layers of different-colored wax and strategic slicing to create dazzling, three-dimensional surface decorations.

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Art
August 12, 2015

Elegant Wood Sculptures Crafted from Discarded Tree Trunks and Branches

South Korean artist Jae-Hyo Lee uses organic materials like wood to create large-scale, sculptural pieces that favor both form and function. Focusing on geometric shapes such as the sphere, Lee somehow manages to transform tree trunks and hefty branches into perfectly formed globes, columns, and furniture-like objects. “I make artworks with materials around me that I can manipulate.

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Drawing
August 12, 2015

Artist Finds Photos of Random People, Transforms Them into Illustrated Characters

Rather than using a friend or a relative as his muse, artist Julio Cesar has an alternative source of inspiration–the illustrator randomly selects people who've posted pictures online and recreates them as fun, illustrated characters. Overall, there's something quite playful about the artist's illustrations. The brilliant colors, flowing brushstrokes, and coquettish facial expressions definitely add to this effect.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.