Author: Misha Maruma
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Marc Standing’s Abstractions Question African Identity
Marc Standing’s paintings involve layers of meaning; in contemplation, empathy, catharsis and the elevation of the spirit. The abstract values of art, proportion, balance, colour, tone, and the management and exploitation of pictorial space, are of the utmost value to his work whether in a non-figurative sense or as supports for figures in an implied…
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Loneliness and Alienation
During these times of social distancing, with the world suddenly changed and our normal routines and plans for 2020 all swept aside, there is a longing sense of unease and unexpectedness. If you happen to be living and working abroad this feeling can be accentuated. Living in China as a foreigner from a non-Asian country…
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Twenty-first Century Chinese Art
The increasing complexity and speed of contemporary technology is the cause of both euphoria and anxiety. In the world of contemporary art, a term was coined – new media art – that was used to describe the sophisticated new technologies that had become available to artists since the late 1980s, and which enabled the digital…
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Never Standing Still
“As a painter it is important to push my practice and I will discover something new in every current body of work, which will filter into new paintings.” Marc Standing’s art is rooted in the natural world, with influences garnered from his travels around the globe. Now based in the UK, the African artist uses…
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Houtouwan Dream
A girl is lost in the depths of her own daydream in an abandoned seaside village; nature can no longer be viewed as an idyllic playground. She wrestles with her own narrative: her repression, her jealousy, her lust. The beauty within the frame creates a dreamlike mood; there is a subtle and indelible mystery unsettling…
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Skinny Brown On 6 Years of Popasuda
Saturday, November 25 will see long-running party night Popasuda celebrating six years on the Shanghai music scene. Known for eclectic world beats, packed crowds, and a genuine party atmosphere all night, Popasuda has gained a loyal following across a varied Shanghai demographic. For the start of the 7th year, DJ and promoter of Popasuda, Sal…
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The Extraordinary Machine
Karin Janssen’s works create a world that draws the audience into her universe, with its own rules and logic. Disembodied mouths become portals, gateways to another dimension, seductively embracing the grotesque, the absurd, the animalistic. “Wangechi Mutu said that the more personal her work is, the more universal it becomes. I like that,” muses Janssen…
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Autumn In Shanghai: M Restaurant Goes Green
On November 24 to 26, M Restaurant Group’s Executive Chef Hamish Waddell will cook alongside Grassroots Pantry’s Chef Peggy Chan in a collaborative dinner and brunch menu, for a special “Autumn in Shanghai”. Sharing the vision of providing healthy food options that come from reliable and sustainable sources, M Restaurant Group and Grassroots Pantry have…
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Interview with Shanghai-based rapper JayEsGee
Recently Chengdu rap group The Higher Brothers have put Chinese hip-hop in the spotlight. Their brand of music draws on their cultural heritage as well as using Chengdu dialect. And even if you can’t understand Chinese their songs, such as Made in China; 7/11; and WeChat, all draw on ideas about things relevant in China…
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Who Runs the World? Shanghai Women of Music
According to The Godfather of Soul James Brown, we live in a man’s world. But as he makes clear, it would be nothing without a woman or a girl. Well, it seems the times are a changin’ and in fact women are starting to lead the direction of how music is progressing in Shanghai. I…
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Making It in Shanghai: Interview with DJ B.O
“Making It in Shanghai” focuses on people who have found success and made a significant cultural impact in Shanghai. “I like to introduce music to people” – DJ B.O It’s Thursday afternoon and I’m scheduled to meet Brian Offenther (a.k.a. DJ B.O) at 2pm at The Apartment on Yongfu Lu. I’m to spend a day…
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Mongolian Post-Punk Band Mohanik
Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia, not to be confused with Inner Mongolia, which is of course part of China. It is the home country of Mohanik, a “Nomad Rock” band formed in 2004 who will be taking to the stage at Inferno on Saturday June 10th, their first time in Shanghai since touring in…
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