Udon is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, widely used in Japanese cuisine. The precise origin of udon remains somewhat of a mystery though there are several theories, the oldest of which suggests that the robust noodle came from China in the 700s. It first became popular with the Japanese population during the Edo…
The oldest surviving paper-cut work is a symmetrical circle from the 6th century found in Xinjiang, China. Ka-ming Wu, Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, explains that in the 20th century, paper-cuts have been variously regarded as a domestic craft, a site of rural purity, a marker of Chinese civilisation, and more recently,…
In an age of globalisation, the contemporary art practices of Myanmar have developed largely in isolation, cautiously overcoming strict censorship laws to birth distinctive and nuanced bodies of work laden with self-reflection. Having existed in isolation from 1962 to 2011, the country is steeped in Buddhist belief, which unsurprisingly permeates its way into the creative…
The long and storied history of perfume spans thousands of years, with the earliest remnants of perfume making practices hailing from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Cyprus. The English word “perfume” is derived from the Latin “per fume,” meaning “through smoke.” It is widely believed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to introduce perfume into…
From Sophie Calle’s The Chromatic Diet, in which the artist proposed a meal plan restricted to one colour on any given day, to Rirkrit Tiravanija’s relational dining experiences, and Bompas & Parr’s intricate jelly worlds, artists and designers have long been fascinated by our relationship with food, exploring ideas around sustenance and social behaviours, as…
Located near the foothills of the Sivalik range of the Himalayas in northwest India, Chandigarh is regarded as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the 20th century, and famed French architect Le Corbusier is widely credited with planning and designing it. However, alongside Le Corbusier were other visionaries like…
Experimenting with desserts as a medium with which to explore vast themes from cultural identity and belonging to socio-political pressures and the preservation of family traditions, the below culinary creatives make edible works of art which seamlessly blur the lines between sculpture and patisserie. From joyous expressions manifested in cream cheese frosting and fruit to…
The visual arts and music have a long and rich tradition in Malaysia, with records showing diverse Malay art practices in existence during the time of the first Malay sultanates. Historically, traditional art from the Southeast Asian nation was mainly centred on fields such as carving, silversmithing, and weaving, with the depiction of humans restricted…