So many bright, beautiful canvases at the Other Art Fair. These works from @elainekazimierczuk @geraldines_galleri and @stacygibboni were my absolute favourites #art #painting #canvas #theotherartfair #london #artfair #artgallery #culture #artist #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram #nature #naturepainting #colour #landscape (at The Truman Brewery)
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The Mechanical Galleon, 1580-1590, Augsburg; silver, iron, enamel, brass, with gilding; 104 x 78.5 x 20.3 cm; The British Museum, London. Source
This complex ship ‘toy’ was displayed in the British Museum’s 'A History of the World in 100 Objects’ exhibition back in 2010. It would have been originally used as a table ornament during the Age of Enlightenment and shows the period’s interest in nautical discovery.
Albert Oehlen, Untitled, 1993, oil on canvas, 200 x 200 cm, Saatchi Gallery, London. Source
Having worked for a German company for the last 4 years, I have become pretty familiar with the work of Albert Oehlen: TASCHEN have published a number of books on the artist over the years and we currently have a huge screenprint in store!
Aïda Muluneh, Strength in Honor, 2016, pigmented inkjet print, 80 × 80 cm, MoMA, New York. © 2018 Aïda Muluneh. Source
Aïda Muluneh is an Ethiopian photographer and artist based in the country’s capital city, Addis Ababa. The image above is taken from her series The World is 9, inspired by a quote from her grandmother: ‘The world is 9, it is never complete and it’s never perfect.’ Muluneh created 28 pieces of work for this project, each of which explores questions of love, life, history, time and space - click here to see the rest of this gorgeous series.
Tooi [Tuai], Drawing of Korokoro’s moko, 1818, paper, 30 x 50 cm, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries.
I have been truly spoilt this year with regards to my love of all things Pacific: from my trip to New Zealand, to the numerous exhibitions in London covering various areas of the subject. The Royal Academy’s ‘Oceania’ showcases the art from island nations across the world’s largest body of water. Over 200 pieces are on display, including canoes, traditional clothing, ceramics and sacred sculptures, and are presented thematically to reveal the stories and narratives that have shaped the history of these indigenous peoples.
Various Japanese tsuba, or sword hand guards, in the Victoria & Albert Museum Collection. The first was made by Mogarashi Soten in the 18th century using copper with gold alloy. The second was made in Awa in the 1600s, and the last tsuba is dated to Kyoto, c.1700. It was made by Sasaki Shobei, who used gold-leaf to cover nearly the entire copper base. Source

What was the only thing to do after a few manic months at work, a stressful house move, and a bout of flu? Head to Greece for a week, of course! Or the island of Santorini to be more precise. An October visit meant the scorching summer heat had passed and we were left with the perfect warm weather for sightseeing, plus the occasional laze on the beach. Below are a few of my art-related highlights:
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Two Sisters (On the Terrace), 1881, oil on canvas, 100.4 x 80.9 cm, The Art Institute of Chicago. Source
This is one of my all-time favourite Renoir paintings, and it also serves as the cover of TASCHEN’s Renoir. Painter of Happiness book, which never fails to brighten up my day.
Lana Almedia Marcellus Jeffery, Bedcover or Parlor Throw (Crazy Quilt), 1896/1900, silk-based mixed media, 196.4 x 169.3 cm, The Art Institute of Chicago. Source
This gorgeous quilt was made by American designer Lana Almedia Marcellus Jeffery. Its impressive production process involved numerous sessions of weaving, painting, printing and embroidery.

Alex Prager, Desiree (from The Big Valley), 2008, c-print, Alex Prager Studio.
It has been well over a year since I visited a solo exhibition in the photographic medium (Wolfgang Tillmans at Tate Modern, February 2017, for those who care). I was actually recommended ‘Alex Prager: Silver Lake Drive’ by a kind client at work, and though it is not in character for me to follow such advice when it comes to exhibitions - especially for a show I’d never even heard of - boy, am I glad I did.
Irene Chou, Circles upon circles, 1995, mixed media, 106.5 x 152.5 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Source
Irene Chou (1924-2011) was a Chinese artist known for her ink-based works. She worked primarily in Hong Kong, but spent the last 20 years of her life in Brisbane, Australia. Chou was also one of the founders of the two leading artist groups in Hong Kong—the In Tao Art Association and the One Art Group.

Sydney Parkinson, Three Paddles from New Zealand, 1769 © British Library Board
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: the British Library are experts at immersive curation. The objects displayed in ‘James Cook: The Voyages’ are set amongst a backdrop of ice white walls, evocative of sweeping glaciers, that guide the visitor through each of Cook’s global expeditions. It has been 250 years since the HMS Endeavour set sail from Plymouth for the Pacific Ocean - followed by two further voyages in the 1770s - and this exhibition celebrates the scientific and navigational work of Cook and his team, which would change the world forever.
Arthur Lismer, Fishing Village, New Brunswick, 1929, oil on wood, 29.8 x 40.4 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Source
After my recent trip to Australia and New Zealand, I have been reminiscing about previous travels and thinking about places I’d like to revisit in the future. I went to Canada when I was 15 and would love to go back some day and explore the coastal provinces. This lovely scene from Group of Seven painter Arthur Lismer looks so enticing!
David Annesley, Red, Yellow, Blue and Turquoise, 1970, screenprint on paper, 58.1 x 76.5 cm, Tate Britain, London. Source

For anyone who follows my Instagram page, you may have noticed a recent onslaught of posts from my three-week trip down under. For those who don’t - and you really should - here is a round-up of my favourite artsy moments from what was easily the most exciting excursion of my life so far.