Very impressed by one of the owner's most recent artists with an unusual pedigree: Laotian royalty, a Ph.D. in psychology from the Sorbonne, an artist-emigree, Buddhist, and advocate of transmitting Laotian culture.
https://www.artxchange.org/show/artxchange-gallery-tiao-nithakhong-somsanith-
Some of his art work resembles single leaves of exquisite jewel-like gold/silver filigree. Some of the leaves made me think of 6th century Chinese Buddhist bronzes from the Northern Wei dynasty that one can see in the Metropolitan Museum, where the sculpture has been hammered, melted, burnished, and, finally, reduced to an ethereal gold object d'art.
He gave a demonstration of how he creates these artworks.
Unfortunately, I really have no way of keeping such things, my walls being covered by framed artwork, mostly reproductions albeit, and I came back less than a year ago with a wonderful Tibetan mandala from Kathmandu.
Moreover, I think {over)-consumerism and materialism are not things I want to get into. As emblems of faith and a reminder of spiritual, not just material wealth, art can have more meaning than being a vehicle for personal ostentation or surface beauty ("eye candy"), and I count most (contemporary) jewelry in this category.
Still, it is very tempting...and I am still considering...it was "more" than folk art even if the clientele seemed more interested in how the objects would look in their Home and Gardens living rooms or how they would match their designer purses. I don't know if I can take that very seriously. read more