2026-04-03 02:00:00
Living in a high-rise apartment or a house with a small yard comes with the disadvantage of not having access to garden space. Fortunately, fine wallpaper manufacturer Astek has a way to bring beautiful blooms indoors. The company’s collection of dreamy floral mural designs called Eterna Nouveau is conceived as a reinterpretation of the Art Nouveau movement of the early 20th century, which historically flourished in Europe and emphasized nature-inspired motifs like flowers and birds.
Eterna Nouveau’s arching, sinuous stems and leaves nod to its namesake style’s characteristic “whiplash” lines. “Aquavita,” for example, features lilies and other water plants that illustrates life both above and below the surface. And “Carnivoria” celebrates more unusual plants, like Venus fly traps. A variety of colorways emphasize the designs’ bold forms and delicate metallic outlines.
The motifs were first created by hand, then digitized so that they can be sized up or down to fit custom spaces. Printed to order, the colors and shapes can even be customized for special projects. See more on Astek’s Instagram.
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2026-04-02 23:12:35
Through atmospheric, black-and-white photographs, Yamamoto Masao explores the emotional connections between image and memory. His intimate, otherworldly gelatin silver prints evoke dreamlike archival footage that has been somehow unyoked from the normal rhythms of time. His subjects vary, although he often focuses on landscapes and natural subjects, including a number of owls that roost in trees near his home in Japan.
Ten Owls at Yancey Richardson marks the artist’s seventh solo exhibition with the gallery, showcasing intimate portraits of the nocturnal birds. No larger than 10 inches on the longest side, these images are intended to be viewed up close in a way that brings these elusive creatures much nearer to us than we ever experience in the wild.
Often peering directly at the camera, their alert, sage, sometimes wary or candid looks evoke a sense of emotional connection. Each avian is an expressive protagonist, with the deep blacks and soft edges of Yamamoto’s prints inviting reflection and empathy.
Over time, the impact of development in the countryside where Yamamoto lives has drawn his attention to these winged, woodland denizens. “Owls have always been a familiar presence to me,” Yamamoto says. “However, as the number of people living in the forest grew, those with no interest in the laws of nature began clearing the trees. Sadly, the owls’ perches are vanishing. Even so, when I hear their faint hooting echoing from somewhere in the distance, I feel a sense of peace.”
Ten Owls opens on April 16 and continues through May 22 in New York. See more on Masao’s Instagram.
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2026-04-02 19:37:00
Chicago-based artist Laura Berger continues her explorations of communion in a suite of staggering paintings that place her signature minimal figures in intimate fellowship with one another and the earth. Spanning six feet wide, the monumental works layer limbs and landscapes, as nude bodies merge with waves, flowers, and sun-strewn clouds.
Berger frequently gestures toward past experiences and the spiritual realm, particularly focusing on the ways time fogs the clarity of memory and how transformation emerges from myriad circumstances. This body of work expands on the themes of interdependence, too, as she renders her figures in varying states of translucence as they swim through a cresting wave or lounge atop pink petals.
These pieces will be on view from April 17 to May 23 at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery in West Palm Beach. Until then, explore more of the artist’s work on Instagram.
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2026-04-01 22:54:37
Known for his collaborative photography projects like Invisible Jumpers, Joseph Ford is interested in perception and intervention. His ongoing series, Impossible Street Art, invites artists such as Antonyo Marest, Alex Senna, and MadC to imagine their work in monumental landscapes via a bit of sleight of hand. The artists create trompe-l’œil interventions on Ford’s photographs, which he then documents on an easel in front of that same place to give a sense of what these huge paintings or installations would feel like in situ.
“These new works mostly explore infrastructure in the form of huge concrete constructions—nuclear power plants, dams, fossil fuel power stations,” Ford says. The locations are often connected to the industries and network of energy production, such as hydropower systems, or logistical configurations related to highways and ports.
For example, the nuclear power station “painted” by Skirl is situated in a sprawling nature preserve on England’s east coast, adjacent to the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape, and a new plant is currently under construction despite much local opposition.
“These locations are physically in the public domain and dominate their surroundings through their huge scale, but often have restricted access. They are imposed on us—it is impossible not to see them—but it is impossible to engage with them, use them, or sometimes even approach them.” By superimposing street art on otherwise inaccessible sites, Ford and the participating artists address these looming constructions and the nature of energy production as “a way of reclaiming and engaging with them,” he says.
See Ford’s work this month at The Other Art Fair in Chicago, which runs from April 9 to 12. Find more on Instagram.
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2026-04-01 19:30:15
When we visit major hubs like Copenhagen or Paris, we often take a lot of photos and make sure to grab a little souvenir as a memento of our visit. How better to remember the architecture and the feel of the city? Well, fiber designer Jake Henzler, a.k.a. Boy Knits World, figures you can stitch those memories into something much cozier than a postcard or a keychain.
Forthcoming from David & Charles Publishing, Henzler’s book Knit the City highlights buildings around the world through a series of building block-like patterns. Using a modular system, details like gables and windows can be switched up to create your own unique facades. Then it’s up to you to choose the colors you’d like to use. The blocks can then be stitched together to create a blanket, pillow covers, or any other application you can come up with.
Knit the City is slated for release on May 5. Pre-order your copy in the Colossal Shop. You can also find Henzler’s patterns on Ravelry.
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2026-04-01 05:09:26
Throughout Southeast Asia, nymph-like, shape-shifting deities associated with clouds and water known as apsaras are commonly depicted in sculptures and other artworks dating back millennia. For San Francisco-based artist Anoushka Mirchandani, who was born in India, these mythological beings are the spirits, so to speak, of vibrant oil paintings.
Tapping into family memories and her upbringing influenced by South Asian cultural traditions, Mirchandani explores mythology and perception. Her current solo exhibition, My Body Was a River Once at ICA San José, explores the tradition of the apsara through a lens of timelessness, femininity, and biophilia. Curated by Zoë Latner, the show emphasizes the dynamic between power and vulnerability, exemplified by Mirchandani’s approach to the figures’ presence and ease amid the unpredictability of nature.
As a child, Mirchandani observed apsaras in the ancient Buddhist caves of Ajanta and Ellora. “These water-women are beings of transformation, embodying sensuality, cosmic energy, and the transmission of matrilineal knowledge,” says an exhibition statement.
In the paintings, figures are at one with their surroundings, virtually faceless with the exception of shadows that suggest lips and noses. The outlines of their bodies merge with tropical plants, moss, boulders, and flowing streams, and their flesh is partly transparent. Additionally, the underpainting of each work comprises a terracotta red, inspired by the clay-rich soil of the Indian states of Goa and Maharashtra. Starting with this earthy pigment literally grounds Mirchandani’s compositions in a sense of home and belonging.
My Body Was a River Once continues through August 23. See more on Mirchandani’s Instagram.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Anoushka Mirchandani Conjures Ancient Mythological Nature Spirits in Vibrant Oil Paintings appeared first on Colossal.