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		<title>October 2026 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/october-2026-opportunities-for-artists/</link>
		
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					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/agnetun-6.jpg" alt="October 2026 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists" />Don't be afraid to apply!</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/agnetun-6.jpg" alt="October 2026 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Every month, we share opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. Make sure you never miss out by joining our monthly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/newsletter/opportunities/">Opportunities Newsletter</a>.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.archenemyarts.com/opencall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arch Enemy Arts Call for Artists</a></strong><span style="background-color: #ffdc13; padding: 2px 6px; margin-left: 8px; font-size: .9em; font-style: italic;"><strong>Featured</strong></span><br>Arch Enemy Arts is seeking submissions for an annual group exhibition in January 2027. This spotlight exhibition of new and emerging talent has no themes or direction in subject matter, although the gallery focuses on representational, dark surrealism, magical realism, post-graffiti, pop-surrealism, narrative, illustrative, and figurative work across a range of artistic mediums. The exhibition is open to artists worldwide, who are invited to submit up to three works for consideration.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST on November 13, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://hopperprize.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$4,500 Artist Grants</a></strong><span style="background-color: #ffdc13; padding: 2px 6px; margin-left: 8px; font-size: .9em; font-style: italic;"><strong>Featured</strong></span><br>The Hopper Prize is now accepting entries for $4,500 and $1,000 artist grants from a total pool of $13,000. Two artists will each receive $4,500 and four artists will each receive $1,000. This is an international open call, and all visual media is eligible. The Hopper Prize provides a direct path to get your work in front of an international community of curators, artists, gallerists, and arts administrators. Additional exposure is available via a 30 artist shortlist, an online journal, and an Instagram account currently reaching over 175,000.<br><em><strong>Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on November 17, 2026.</strong></em></p>



<p>&nbsp;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><strong style="font-size: 1.2em;">Open Calls</strong></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://blackpublicmedia.org/for-media-makers/bpm-open-call/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Black Public Media Open Call for Documentaries</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(U.S.)</mark></em></em><br>Independent filmmakers are invited to submit feature-length nonfiction projects in a range of formats, styles, subject matters, and genres for the opportunity to participate in the 10th <a href="https://blackpublicmedia.org/pitch-black/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PitchBLACK Forum &amp; Awards</a> next spring. BPM is particularly interested in stories exploring critical issues, promoting cultural understanding, and engaging national audiences and/or local communities. All projects, which may be in pre-production, production, or early post-production, must be suitable for public media distribution.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PDT on October 1, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.americancolorprintsociety.org/calls-for-entry/fall-annual-2026" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Color Print Society 86th Annual Fall Exhibition</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(U.S.)</mark></em></em><br>For 86 years, the American Color Print Society has been dedicated to the advancement of printmaking as a fine art medium. This opportunity is open both members and non-members, and all accepted artists are eligible for awards. There is a $45 application fee for non-members ($20 for members).<br><strong><em>Deadline: October 1, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.thedefianceaward.com/opportunities-for-painters" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Defiance Award</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(Australia)</mark></em></em><br>This prize was founded to discover, support, and profile exceptional Australian painters. It offers both financial support and professional development opportunities to foster long-term careers in the arts, ensuring artists are equipped to thrive and grow within their practice. The overall winner will receive a solo exhibition at Defiance Gallery, a two-week residency at Giverny Artist Residency in Queenstown, New Zealand, sponsored by the Nock Art Foundation, return flights to Queenstown from an Australian capital city, and $5,000 cash.<br><strong><em>Deadline: October 7, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://theroi.co.uk/annual-show-information/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Artists are invited to submit work for the ROI Annual Exhibition 2026. Founded in 1882, ROI is the only major British art society that promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard exclusively in oil paint. The ROI welcomes submissions on all subjects and approaches to the medium, and this year&#8217;s optional theme is &#8220;winter rituals.&#8221; There&#8217;s a submission fee of £22 per work, or £14.50 per work for artists aged 35 or under.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 12 p.m. BST on October 9, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://makevisual.com/make-commercial-workshop-info" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAKE Commercial Workshop</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>MAKE’s Commercial Workshop gives junior and senior BFA/BA students an immersive, hands-on experience in creating animated commercial spots. Across two semesters, selected teams collaborate with MAKE mentors to conceptualize, design, and produce a 15-second, character-driven ad. The workshop mirrors the pace and challenges of MAKE’s studio projects, helping students sharpen their skills, build their portfolios, and gain real-world insight into commercial animation.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 11, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.yicca.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>YICCA Art Prize</strong></a><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>This competition is open to all media and techniques and geared toward emerging artists, with a total prize pool of €5,500. The application fee varies depending on the number of images submitted and starts at €50.<br><strong><em>Deadline: October 8, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.artfieldssc.org/prizes-and-rules/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2027 ArtFields Festival</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(Southeastern U.S.)</mark></em></em><br>Submit to the 2027 ArtFields Festival and be part of a unique celebration of art and community in Lake City, South Carolina. Selected artworks will be in one of the Southeast’s largest and most prestigious art events from April 9 to May 1, 2027, and will be in the running for over $100,000 in cash prizes. There is a $25 application fee.<br><em style="font-weight: bold;"><strong>Deadline: November 1, 2026.</strong></em></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.beamcenter.org/events/2027-beam-camp-project-call-3bpb9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2027 Beam Camp Project Open Call</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Beam Center, located in Strafford, New Hampshire, seeks design proposals for an ambitious public artwork that will be brought to life through collaborations between youth, Beam Camp staff, and the selected proposer. Projects will be realized by a community of more than 100 young people at Beam Camp in July 2026. Selected project proposers receive a $5,000 award, and selected projects have approximately a $15,000 fabrication budget.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST on November 30, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://pci.jotform.com/form/262185636090156" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Material Works Art Award 2026</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Material Works supports artists through one-time $2,500 awards in exchange for original pieces added to its growing contemporary art collection. The award recognizes artistic excellence and aims to promote career advancement through increasing visibility and exposure. There is a €40 application fee.<br><strong><em>Deadline: December 6, 2026</em>, <em>or when the first 300 artworks submitted, whichever comes first</em></strong>.</p>



<p>&nbsp;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><strong style="font-size: 1.2em;">Grants</strong></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://thesupportingact.org/programs/artist-grant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Supporting Act Foundation Artist Grants</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(Europe)</mark></em></em><br>The Supporting Act Foundation offers 10 unrestricted grants of €10,000 each, paid in monthly installments of €1,000. The program aims to improve living conditions for artists, enabling them to dedicate more time to developing their practices.&nbsp;To be eligible, artists must be based in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, or the U.K.<br><strong><em>Deadline: October 1, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.jeromefdn.org/new-york-city-film-production-grant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York City Film Production Grant</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(New York City)</mark></em></em><br>This grant supports eligible New York City-based early career film directors whose work takes creative risks in expanding, questioning, experimenting with, or re-imagining filmmaking with production grants of up to $30,000.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 4 p.m. EDT on October 1, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.printedmatter.org/workgrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Printed Matter Publisher Work Grant</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>In its third year, Printed Matter&#8217;s Publisher Work Grant program offers funding to independent presses with a history of artists’ book publishing, acknowledging awardees’ accomplishments in past work and providing the capacity-building funds to enable future book projects and publisher sustainability. In 2026, three unrestricted grants of $10,000 will be awarded to three independent artists’ book publishers. Printed Matter will also extend a featured exhibitor presence at a forthcoming Printed Matter NY or LA Art Book Fair to selected presses.<br><strong><em>Deadline: October 4, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.meridianaward.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Meridian Award</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>The Meridian Award is an independent international award granting a $1,000 unrestricted cash prize to one contemporary artist working in any medium. ​Founded independently in New York City, the award supports independent, self-directed contemporary practices and welcomes submissions from artists worldwide.​ There is a $25 application fee.<br><strong><em>Deadline: October 15, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://ovac-ok.org/grantsforartists" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Grants for Artists</a></strong> <em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(Oklahoma)</mark></em></em><br>OVAC offers several opportunities, including the Grants for Artists program fostering Oklahoma’s visual artistic creative excellence and the Community/Artist Partnership grants, which provide up to $1,500 for initiating community-based projects that lead to artwork creation. Creative Projects grants provide up to $1,500 for creating new work that will culminate in a public event focused on artist’s own work. Two additional grants are available in Education Assistance and Professional Basics categories, amounting $500 each.<br><em style="font-weight: bold;"><strong>Deadline: October 15, 2026.</strong></em></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://makevisual.com/thesis-grant-info" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAKE Animation Thesis Grants</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>MAKE is proud to continue its annual grant program supporting senior animation students around the globe, championing and spotlighting emerging talent by directly funding original animated thesis projects (short films). First place is $2,000; second place is $1,000, and third place is $500.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST on November 6, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.asianculturalcouncil.org/grant-opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Asian Cultural Counsel Grants</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(Asia)</mark></em></em><br>ACC supports artists, scholars, arts professionals, and organizations through fellowships and grants that advance cultural exchange between the U.S. and Asia and within Asia. For individuals, the organization offers the six-month New York Fellowship, the one- to six-month Individual Fellowship, and the Graduate Fellowship for a student from Asia to study in the U.S.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 9:59 a.m. EST on November 10, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.gottliebfoundation.org/emergency-grant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant</a></strong>&nbsp;<em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>This program provides one-time financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs resulted from an unforeseen catastrophic incident and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Awardees typically receive $5,000 and up to $15,000.<br><em><strong>Deadline: Rolling.</strong></em></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://pkf.org/apply/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant</strong></a><em>&nbsp;<em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>The foundation welcomes applications from painters, sculptors, and artists working on paper, including printmakers. Grants are intended for one year and range up to $50,000. The artist’s circumstances determine the size of the grant, and professional exhibition history will be considered.<br><em><strong>Deadline: Rolling.</strong></em></p>



<p>&nbsp;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong style="font-size: 1.2em;">Residencies, Fellowships, &amp; More</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://artomi.org/event/open-call-2027/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Art Omi Dance, Music, and Architecture Residencies</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Art Omi is currently offering residencies in three tracks: architecture, dance, and music. The program  nurtures experimentation in environs that offer a singular blend of rural quiet and cultural stimulation, while tapping into the freedom to play through collaboration. There is a $15 application fee.<br><strong style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deadline: October 1, 2026.</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://lighthouseworks.us/fellowship" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lighthouse Works Fellowship</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Located on Fishers Island, New York, Lighthouse Works offers a fellowship supporting a diverse range of cultural producers working in the vanguard of their creative fields. Fellowships are six weeks in length, occur year-round, and provide fellows with housing, food, studio space, and $1,750 in financial support. Fellows enjoy a private bedroom and share a kitchen, bathrooms, and living space in a three-story Victorian house. All dietary needs are accommodated, and on most nights, Lighthouse Works staff cook for and eat dinner with the fellows. Studios are located about 1.5 miles/a 30-minute walk from the fellowship house. The application fee is $25.<br><strong style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deadline: October 1, 2026.</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.lywam.org/artist-resources/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Woodson Art Museum Glass Box Studio Residency</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Located on the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum campus in Wausau, Wisconsin, the Glass Box Studio provides space and time for artists to experiment, explore, and produce individually developed or collaborative artwork in any medium.&nbsp;Participating artists will receive an honorarium in addition to reimbursement for travel, mileage, and meal expenses. Supplies and materials for workshops, classes, and outreach will be covered by the Woodson Art Museum. There is a $25 application fee.<br><strong style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deadline: October 1, 2026.</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.abronsartscenter.org/residencies/visual-artist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abrons Art Center Visual Artist AIRspace Residency</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(New York City)</mark></em></em><br>Abrons Art Center supports a cohort of three visual artists for a 20-month residency. Each fellow will be paired with a professional artist mentor who is an alum of the program and will support the fellows&#8217; creative and professional development. Artists receive a semi-private studio, an annual honorarium of $7,000, an annual materials stipend of $5,000, and more.<br><strong><em>Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 4, 2026.</em></strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://pedanticarts.org/announcements/open-call-for-residents-and-grantees-submit-by-october-15th/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pedantic Summer and Fall 2027 Residencies</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Pedantic Arts is seeking applicants for creatives and researchers to participate in the Summer 2027 and Fall 2027 Terms. Entering its sixth year, Pedantic continues its mission of re-embracing the impact that education, study, and contemplation can have on artistic output by interconnecting creators, organizers, and critics. Residents will spend four weeks housed in a hybrid residential and commercial building in the bustling Pittsburgh&#8217;s Garfield neighborhood. Two Pedantic Research Grant opportunities, which encompass one- to two-week-long independent research stays in Pittsburgh, are also open through the same application process. There is a $20 application fee.<br><strong style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EDT on</strong><strong><em> October 15,</em> 2026.</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/interdisciplinary-leighton-artists-studios/leighton-artist-studio-residency-solo-2027-28" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leighton Artist Studio Residencies at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>For program dates between April 5, 2027, and March 31, 2028, Banff Centre of Arts and Creativity invites applications for three Leighton Artist Studio Residency opportunities: solo, group, and photography. Residencies run for a minimum of two weeks and up to six weeks long, and each resident has a meal plan, housing, studio space, and access to campus facilities, including the library. Scholarships may be available. There is a $65 application fee for individuals, or $35 for applicants who identify as Indigenous.<br><strong style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deadline: </strong><strong><em>October 14,</em> 2026.</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://centerforartandadvocacy.org/programs#fellowship" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Center for Art &amp; Advocacy&#8217;s Center Fellowship</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(U.S.)</mark></em></em><br>The Center Fellowship (formerly Right of Return) offers an annual award of $10,000 in unrestricted funds and $10,000 in project development funds to formerly incarcerated artists. Fellows are invited to an annual retreat to network with previous fellows, advocates, industry leaders, and funders. The Center Fellowship is open to any directly justice-impacted, U.S.-based artist working in visual art, film, music, creative writing, performance, design, or other multidisciplinary practice, regardless of citizenship status, felony convictions, or formal training in the arts.<br><strong style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deadline: </strong><strong><em>October 25,</em> 2026.</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://pdsoros.org/application-process/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Paul &amp; Daisy Soros Fellowship for Immigrant Artists</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(U.S.)</mark></em></em><br>Each year, The Paul &amp; Daisy Soros Fellowship selects 30 fellows based on their potential to make significant contributions to American society, culture, and their chosen fields. The program provides $90,000 over the course of two years to support graduate study. Fellows may be immigrants or the children of immigrants and receive funding along with mentorship, community, and lifelong connection to a network of nearly 900 Fellows across various disciplines including the arts.<br><strong style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deadline: 2 p.m. EDT on </strong><strong><em>October 29,</em> 2026.</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://vitalimpacts.org/pages/the-vital-impacts-environmental-photography-grant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vital Impacts Environmental Photography Fellowships and Mentorships</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Vital Impacts is dedicated to supporting visual storytellers who capture compelling, solutions-focused environmental stories at the local level. The organization is offering one $20,000 fellowship and six $5,000 fellowships to help bring these vital stories to life. Recipients will have twelve months to develop their projects with support from Vital Impacts to publish and showcase their work. Additionally, ten emerging photographers will be chosen to participate in an intensive mentorship program, designed to nurture their growth and enhance their craft.<br><em style="font-weight: bold;"><strong>Deadline: November 30, 2026.</strong></em></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://rtpi.org/artist-in-residence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roger Tory Peterson Institute Artist-in-Residence</a></strong><em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Residents spend a week at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) in Jamestown, New York, with facilitated access to the Peterson Collection, inclusive of Roger’s original field guide art, fine art, films, slides and personal papers. Each artist receives an honorarium of $1,000. Artists from out of town also receive housing, per diem, and reimbursement for travel. Following the residency, artists create a body of work inspired by their time spent at RTPI, which is featured in a solo exhibition the following year.<br><strong style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deadline: Rolling.</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://quarantinemenorca.events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Quarantine</strong></a> <em><em><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-driftwood-color">(International)</mark></em></em><br>Dubbed &#8220;purgatory for artists,&#8221; Quarantine is a week-long intensive art program on an 18th-century quarantine island off the coast of Menorca, Spain. The program is open to beginners and professionals alike and offers three 45-minute private mentorships throughout the week, with activities lasting 12+ hours per day. Phones are banned.<br><strong><em>Deadline: Rolling.</em></strong></p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/october-2026-opportunities-for-artists/">October 2026 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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		<title>A Giant Gold Coil by Plastique Fantastique Created a Loopy Portal on the High Line</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/auroboros-plastique-fantastique-high-line-inflatable-sculpture/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate Mothes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:41:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflatable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[installation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plastique Fantastique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sculpture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snakes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=478086</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-4.jpg" alt="A Giant Gold Coil by Plastique Fantastique Created a Loopy Portal on the High Line" />Earlier this month, a monumental, metallic spiral appeared on Manhattan's High Line to coincide with New York Fashion Week.</p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/auroboros-plastique-fantastique-high-line-inflatable-sculpture/">A Giant Gold Coil by Plastique Fantastique Created a Loopy Portal on the High Line</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-4.jpg" alt="A Giant Gold Coil by Plastique Fantastique Created a Loopy Portal on the High Line" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Earlier this month, a monumental, metallic spiral appeared on the <a href="https://www.thehighline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">High Line</a> to coincide with New York Fashion Week. The elevated, art-filled public park on the West Side of Manhattan runs from Gansevoort Street near the Whitney Museum of American Art to 34th Street near Hudson Yards. Commissioned by Bulgari as part of its <em>Serpenti Infinito </em>series, which celebrates its famous <em>Serpenti </em>collection through artistic partnerships, the temporary installation invited visitors to walk through an enormous coil titled &#8220;auroBOROS: Urban Memory and Collective Dream.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The brainchild of artists Marco Canevacci and&nbsp;Yena Young, who helm the studio <a href="https://plastique-fantastique.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plastique Fantastique</a>, &#8220;auroBOROS&#8221; spent nearly two weeks wedged beneath a raised building. Its title is drawn from the ancient <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ouroboros</a> motif of a snake eating its own tail as a metaphor for the continuous cycles of life—a nod to Bulgari&#8217;s snake-themed jewelry line—and the site added a playful tension to the piece, as it appeared to support the overhead structure.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1500" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-3.jpg" alt="a giant inflatable sculpture of a gold spiral wedged beneath an overpass on the High Line in Manhattan" class="wp-image-478089" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-3.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-3-640x480.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-3-960x720.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;auroBOROS&#8221; marks the first time Plastique Fantastique has exhibited in the U.S. Earlier installations along a similar theme include iterations of an architectonic gold loop titled &#8220;RINGdeLUXE,&#8221; which has encircled bridges with the appearance of a kind of cosmic portal. See more on the studio&#8217;s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/plastique.fantastique/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="2000" height="1500" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-2.jpg" alt="a giant inflatable sculpture of a gold spiral wedged beneath an overpass on the High Line in Manhattan" class="wp-image-478088" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-2.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-2-640x480.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-2-960x720.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="2000" height="1333" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-1.jpg" alt="a giant inflatable sculpture of a gold spiral wedged beneath an overpass on the High Line in Manhattan" class="wp-image-478087" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-1.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-1-640x427.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1331" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-5.jpg" alt="a giant inflatable sculpture of a gold ring encompassing a bridge" class="wp-image-478091" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-5.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-5-640x426.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-5-960x639.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-5-768x511.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-5-1536x1022.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;RINGdeLUXE&#8221; (2023)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1333" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-7.jpg" alt="a giant inflatable sculpture of a gold ring encompassing a bridge" class="wp-image-478093" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-7.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-7-640x427.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-7-960x640.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1333" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-6.jpg" alt="a giant inflatable sculpture of a gold ring encompassing a bridge" class="wp-image-478092" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-6.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-6-640x427.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-6-960x640.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-6-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/plastique-6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/auroboros-plastique-fantastique-high-line-inflatable-sculpture/">A Giant Gold Coil by Plastique Fantastique Created a Loopy Portal on the High Line</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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		<title>At a &#8216;Molecular Level,&#8217; Mu Pan Composes Meticulous Mandalas in Acrylic</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/mu-pan-acrylic-paintings-drawings-mandalas/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate Mothes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:45:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[acrylic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geometric]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mandala]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mu Pan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spirituality]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=478076</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-2.jpg" alt="At a &#8216;Molecular Level,&#8217; Mu Pan Composes Meticulous Mandalas in Acrylic" />The Brooklyn-based artist's solo show 'Micro MUniverse' runs through October 10 at Hashimoto Contemporary.</p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/mu-pan-acrylic-paintings-drawings-mandalas/">At a &#8216;Molecular Level,&#8217; Mu Pan Composes Meticulous Mandalas in Acrylic</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-2.jpg" alt="At a &#8216;Molecular Level,&#8217; Mu Pan Composes Meticulous Mandalas in Acrylic" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the Buddhist tradition, <a href="/tags/mandala">mandalas</a> are devotional images that represent the universe, their precise geometry and motifs depicting holy realms and a sense of order through symbolic references to the elements and astrology. Tibetan Buddhist monks painstakingly create colorful sand renditions as part of their mindfulness practice. Once complete, the pieces are ritualistically destroyed—the sand is customarily returned to moving water—to illustrate the impermanence and transience of life and the cosmos.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For artist <a href="https://www.mupan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mu Pan</a>, the mandala inspires the foundation of a series of vivid works on paper. In his current solo exhibition, <em>Micro MUniverse</em> at <a href="https://www.hashimotocontemporary.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hashimoto Contemporary</a>, the Brooklyn-based artist composes explosive, eccentric, narrative scenes rendered at what the gallery describes as &#8220;a molecular level.&#8221; </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2004" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-3.jpg" alt="an abstract, mandala-like painting in vibrant colors featuring numerous figures, animals, and shapes" class="wp-image-478079" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-3.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-3-640x641.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-3-960x962.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-3-768x770.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-3-1533x1536.jpg 1533w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;18 Angels&#8221; (2026), acrylic on paper, 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The collection draws on a <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-exact-quote-Buddha-said-something-along-the-lines-of-The-water-that-I-here-hold-in-my-cup-is-filled-with-countless-of-microscopic-lifeforms-I-couldnt-find-anything-relevant-through-using-a-search-engine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Buddhist adage</a> that a single cup of water contains countless lifeforms, and for that reason, care must be taken in consuming it. Mu delves into a world of fantasy and symmetry, where animals, humans, and plants converge and hybridize in surreal configurations. Some become nearly abstract; others are uncanny, even slightly grotesque. The figures are at turns ecstatic, devious, and serene: black-winged skeletons meet sublime beings in &#8220;18 Angels,&#8221; and a dramatic scene of woodland creatures divinely erupts in &#8220;Burning Rabbit.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Many of the works are less than a foot wide, with the exception of one painting on panel called &#8220;4 Brutes&#8221; that&#8217;s two feet across. Line, form, and expressions are therefore composed in incredible detail. The artist says, &#8220;I want to focus on the concept of being small, because whatever is small actually contains way more than it appears. Therefore, each small image is like a drop of blood, and each drop of blood contains multiple universes.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Micro MUniverse </em>continues through October 10 in New York City. See more on the artist&#8217;s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mupan1911/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2179" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-5.jpg" alt="an abstract, mandala-like painting in vibrant colors featuring numerous figures, animals, and shapes" class="wp-image-478081" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-5.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-5-640x697.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-5-960x1046.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-5-768x837.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-5-1410x1536.jpg 1410w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-5-1880x2048.jpg 1880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Burning Rabbit&#8221; (2026), acrylic on paper, 7 3/4 x 7 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1651" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-1.jpg" alt="an abstract, mandala-like painting in vibrant colors featuring numerous figures, animals, and shapes" class="wp-image-478077" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-1.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-1-640x528.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-1-960x792.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-1-768x634.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-1-1536x1268.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;4 Brutes&#8221; (2026), acrylic on wood panel, 20 x 24 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2736" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-6.jpg" alt="an abstract, mandala-like painting in vibrant colors featuring numerous figures, animals, and shapes" class="wp-image-478082" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-6.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-6-640x876.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-6-960x1313.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-6-768x1051.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-6-1123x1536.jpg 1123w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-6-1497x2048.jpg 1497w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Deer&#8221; (2026), acrylic on paper, 15 x 10 3/4 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2788" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-8.jpg" alt="an abstract, mandala-like painting in vibrant colors featuring numerous figures, animals, and shapes" class="wp-image-478084" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-8.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-8-640x892.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-8-960x1338.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-8-768x1071.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-8-1102x1536.jpg 1102w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-8-1469x2048.jpg 1469w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Purple Weasel&#8221; (2026, acrylic on paper, 15 x 11 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1958" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-7.jpg" alt="an abstract, mandala-like painting in vibrant colors featuring numerous figures, animals, and shapes" class="wp-image-478083" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-7.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-7-640x627.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-7-960x940.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-7-768x752.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-7-1536x1504.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Green&#8221; (2026), acrylic on paper, 14 3/4 x 14 3/4 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2269" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-4.jpg" alt="an abstract, mandala-like painting in vibrant colors featuring numerous figures, animals, and shapes" class="wp-image-478080" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-4.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-4-640x726.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-4-960x1089.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-4-768x871.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-4-1354x1536.jpg 1354w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pan-4-1805x2048.jpg 1805w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Bear&#8221; (2026), acrylic on paper, 15 x 13 inches</figcaption></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/mu-pan-acrylic-paintings-drawings-mandalas/">At a &#8216;Molecular Level,&#8217; Mu Pan Composes Meticulous Mandalas in Acrylic</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>On Concrete Remnants of London&#8217;s Aylesbury Estate, Harriet Mena Hill Preserves a Community</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/harriet-mena-hill-aylesbury-estate-paintings/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Grace Ebert]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:50:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fiber art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harriet Mena Hill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[painting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sculpture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wool]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=478049</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-9.jpg" alt="On Concrete Remnants of London&#8217;s Aylesbury Estate, Harriet Mena Hill Preserves a Community" />Harriet Mena Hill is devoted to documenting a community amid demolition.</p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/harriet-mena-hill-aylesbury-estate-paintings/">On Concrete Remnants of London&#8217;s Aylesbury Estate, Harriet Mena Hill Preserves a Community</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-9.jpg" alt="On Concrete Remnants of London&#8217;s Aylesbury Estate, Harriet Mena Hill Preserves a Community" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Built throughout the 1960s and &#8217;70s, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aylesbury_Estate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the Aylesbury Estate</a> is an enormous public housing complex in South East London that at its peak, boasted 11,000 residents. Like other social projects of this kind, Aylesbury has struggled with violence and vandalism throughout its run, and in 2005, local officials decided to demolish the estate and rebuild in phases rather than rehabilitate the existing structures.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Living and working in South East London for nearly four decades, <a href="https://www.harrietmenahill.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harriet Mena Hill</a> was familiar with the area, but it wasn&#8217;t until 2018 when she was commissioned to teach a summer program for young residents that she really engaged with the project. She made large portraits from wool, blending dyed roving to delineate windows, shape bowed electrical wires, and even mimic graffiti spray-painted on outdoor walls. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1500" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-10.jpg" alt="a textile piece depicting public housing" class="wp-image-478061" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-10.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-10-640x480.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-10-960x720.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-10-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-10-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Soft Concrete Missenden, Aylesbury Estate&#8221; (2020), wool on felt, 88 x 118 centimeters</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Forming the series <em>Soft Concrete</em>, the textile pieces cast a largely gray environment of stone and steel in soft fiber. The body of work, Hill says, was a &#8220;repositioning of how the estate is perceived. Historically, it has been widely portrayed in the media as violent and intimidating, as a place without hope.&#8221; </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In contrast, <em>Soft Concrete</em> &#8220;presents the estate as a place of living and community. From a distance, the portraits look like photographs or realistic paintings, but on closer inspection, the material reveals itself to be wool, hand blended for subtle colour mixing used to depict small active details of domestic life,&#8221; the artist adds.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Hill is broadly interested in the ways that communities and the objects they interact with can become vessels for shared memories, so when the estate began to be razed in 2020, she started to collect fragments of concrete from the construction site. &#8220;It was a direct response to the situation of residents who were required to stay at home as the demolition of adjoining blocks, the homes of their former neighbours, continued throughout lockdown, in spite of wider restrictions,&#8221; she tells Colossal.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Before its destruction, several tenants had advocated for renovations rather than demolition, hoping to preserve the community and homes they&#8217;d built. In <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-67529748" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an interview</a> with the <em>BBC</em> in 2023, long-time resident Aysen Dennis lamented being forced to leave the estate after 30 years. Local administrators found her new housing in central London, but it wasn&#8217;t the same. &#8220;The council gave me everything I asked for. It&#8217;s on a high floor. There&#8217;s lots of light. I can see the park,&#8221; Dennis said. &#8220;But it&#8217;s not my home.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1333" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-1.jpg" alt="a collection of a concrete fragments with paintings of housing structures" class="wp-image-478056" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-1.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-1-640x427.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Studio view. Photo by Jon Cardwell</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Intimate in scale, Hill&#8217;s paintings glimpse hallways and pockets of windows that are similarly sliced from their larger contexts, the ragged edges of concrete framing the largely domestic spaces. Part of the ongoing series titled <em>The Aylesbury Fragments,</em> the scenes capture the run-down infrastructure of buildings left standing during the phased reconstruction process. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Although regeneration began in 2013, it&#8217;s less than half complete, and Hill has completed more than 150 paintings to date. As demolition continues, she adds to her ever-changing collection of concrete remnants. &#8220;I live with the unpainted pieces for months, sometimes years, getting to know their shape before I begin working on them,&#8221; the artist says, noting that as long as there are buildings still under construction, she&#8217;ll continue painting these small tributes to the community once housed within their walls.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Hill has exhibitions slated for London and across the U.K. throughout 2027. Follow along on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrietmena_hill/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2890" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-3.jpg" alt="a concrete fragment with a painting of a room with standing water" class="wp-image-478057" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-3.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-3-640x925.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-3-960x1387.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-3-768x1110.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-3-1063x1536.jpg 1063w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-3-1417x2048.jpg 1417w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Water Out Of Sunlight.&#8221; Photo by Kevin Dutton</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1558" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-4.jpg" alt="a concrete fragment with a painting of windows and curtains" class="wp-image-478058" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-4.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-4-640x499.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-4-960x748.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-4-768x598.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-4-1536x1197.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Stacked Sill.&#8221; Photo by Kevin Dutton</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2777" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-5.jpg" alt="a concrete fragment with a painting of an architectural interior" class="wp-image-478059" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-5.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-5-640x889.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-5-960x1333.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-5-768x1066.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-5-1106x1536.jpg 1106w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-5-1475x2048.jpg 1475w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Waiting.&#8221; Photo by Kevin Dutton</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1500" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-6.jpg" alt="a textile piece depicting public housing hangs over a balcony while the artist leans on the railing nearby" class="wp-image-478060" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-6.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-6-640x480.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-6-960x720.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-6-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-6-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Soft Concrete on the Aylesbury.&#8221; Photo by Alison Romanczuk</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="3027" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-11.jpg" alt="a concrete fragment with a painting of a building facade with wires" class="wp-image-478062" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-11.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-11-640x969.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-11-960x1453.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-11-768x1162.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-11-1015x1536.jpg 1015w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-11-1353x2048.jpg 1353w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Cable Drift.&#8221; Photo by Kevin Dutton</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1333" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-2.jpg" alt="a collection of a concrete fragments with paintings of housing structures" class="wp-image-478063" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-2.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-2-640x427.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-2-960x640.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Studio view. Photo by Jon Cardwell</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2372" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-7.jpg" alt="a concrete fragment with a painting of a building with an open entrance" class="wp-image-478064" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-7.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-7-640x759.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-7-960x1139.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-7-768x911.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-7-1295x1536.jpg 1295w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-7-1727x2048.jpg 1727w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Sudden In A Shaft of Sunlight.&#8221; Photo by Kevin Dutton</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1125" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-8.jpg" alt="a detail of a textile piece depicting public housing" class="wp-image-478065" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-8.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-8-640x360.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-8-960x540.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-8-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/hill-8-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Detail of &#8220;Soft Concrete Missenden, Aylesbury Estate&#8221; (2020)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/harriet-mena-hill-aylesbury-estate-paintings/">On Concrete Remnants of London&#8217;s Aylesbury Estate, Harriet Mena Hill Preserves a Community</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Three Artists and Two Writers On Surrealist Painter Remedios Varo&#8217;s Influence</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/remedios-varo-surrealist-paintings-louisiana-channel/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Grace Ebert]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:58:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Film]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Magical Realism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[painting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Remedios Varo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surreal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=478038</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-1.jpeg" alt="Three Artists and Two Writers On Surrealist Painter Remedios Varo&#8217;s Influence" />Have you found yourself stunned by the Surrealist works of Remedios Varo? Same.</p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/remedios-varo-surrealist-paintings-louisiana-channel/">Three Artists and Two Writers On Surrealist Painter Remedios Varo&#8217;s Influence</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-1.jpeg" alt="Three Artists and Two Writers On Surrealist Painter Remedios Varo&#8217;s Influence" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Like the Argentinian writer Samanta Schweblin, the first time I found myself in front of a painting by the Spanish-Mexican artist <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/tags/remedios-varo/">Remedios Varo</a> (1908-1963), I was stunned. Who was this <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/09/remedios-varo-science-fictions/">elegant owl-figure</a> with dainty fingers and feet? What was animating the creaturely machine at her side with tentacle-like brushes as hands? And, would I ever be able to look away?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Feeling mesmerized and awe-struck by Varo&#8217;s Surrealist visions isn&#8217;t an uncommon position to find oneself in. A new release from Louisiana Channel interviews three artists and two writers—Schweblin being one—about Varo&#8217;s influence, particularly her precise approach to alchemy and visualizing the thin veil between the physical and spiritual world. Interspersing artworks and commentary creates an insightful tapestry of a singular artist and her enduring legacy. Watch &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_dpJv_DfdU" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Remedios Varo: The Painter of Magic</a>&#8221; below, and learn more about the artist <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/tags/remedios-varo/">previously on Colossal</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Remedios Varo: The Painter of Magic | Louisiana Channel" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3_dpJv_DfdU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1850" height="1490" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-2.jpeg" alt="a screenshot of a surreal painting by remedios varo of children doing magic" class="wp-image-478047" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-2.jpeg 1850w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-2-640x515.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-2-960x773.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-2-768x619.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-2-1536x1237.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1850px) 100vw, 1850px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1798" height="1492" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-3.jpeg" alt="a screenshot of a surreal architectural painting by remedios varo" class="wp-image-478048" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-3.jpeg 1798w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-3-640x531.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-3-960x797.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-3-768x637.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/varo-3-1536x1275.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1798px) 100vw, 1798px" /></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/remedios-varo-surrealist-paintings-louisiana-channel/">Three Artists and Two Writers On Surrealist Painter Remedios Varo&#8217;s Influence</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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		<title>Fantastic Plants Spring from Taehyoung Maria Jeon&#8217;s Digital Illustrations</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/taehyoung-maria-jeon-folium-botanical-illustration-book/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Grace Ebert]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2026 19:02:09 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Illustration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surreal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taehyoung Maria Jeon]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=478027</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-196.jpeg" alt="Fantastic Plants Spring from Taehyoung Maria Jeon&#8217;s Digital Illustrations" />Taehyoung Maria Jeon reimagines the plants cohabitating in her apartment, beginning with leaves and stems before venturing into surreal terrain.</p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/taehyoung-maria-jeon-folium-botanical-illustration-book/">Fantastic Plants Spring from Taehyoung Maria Jeon&#8217;s Digital Illustrations</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-196.jpeg" alt="Fantastic Plants Spring from Taehyoung Maria Jeon&#8217;s Digital Illustrations" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;I try to avoid playing it safe or going for the obvious. Instead, I look at plants from a different perspective and express them in my own way,&#8221; South Korean artist <a href="https://marimarijeon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Taehyoung Maria Jeon</a> says about a fantastical series of illustrations. &#8220;Ironically, having rules is what gives me the freedom to experiment with plant shape.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Although she&#8217;s trained as a printmaker and continues to build compositions in layers, Jeon turns to digital methods as she reimagines the specimens cohabitating in her apartment, beginning with leaves and stems before venturing into surreal terrain. Purple veins, red outlines, and a smattering of stars appear on the imagined life forms, their vivid color palettes furthering their sense of the uncanny.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-140.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of fantastical plants" class="wp-image-478031" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-140.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-140-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-140-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-140-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-140-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-140-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Titled <em>Plant Series</em>, the project &#8220;started as a personal challenge to fill a square canvas with plants, playing with shapes and composition to pack everything in as much as possible,&#8221; she says. &#8220;As the series continues, the drawings evolve and the nuances shift, but at its heart, it is always about composition, balance, colour, and shape—and hopefully sending out positive vibes, too.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Dozens of illustrations from the series are compiled in <em>Folium</em>, Jeon&#8217;s first monograph from Volume. The publisher functions like Kickstarter and asks readers to back the project before printing. You can reserve your copy on <a href="https://vol.co/collections/folium-maria-taehyoung-jeon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Volume&#8217;s website</a>, and find more from the artist on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marimarijeon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-226.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of a creature and blue plants emerging from its hands" class="wp-image-478037" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-226.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-226-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-226-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-226-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-226-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-226-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-224.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of a rabbit cradling a plant while riding a turtle" class="wp-image-478036" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-224.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-224-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-224-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-224-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-224-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-224-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-154.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of fantastical plants" class="wp-image-478033" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-154.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-154-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-154-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-154-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-154-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-154-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-152.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of fantastical plants" class="wp-image-478032" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-152.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-152-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-152-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-152-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-152-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-152-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-87.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of fantastical plants" class="wp-image-478029" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-87.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-87-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-87-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-87-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-87-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-87-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-61.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of fantastical plants" class="wp-image-478028" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-61.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-61-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-61-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-61-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-61-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-61-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-111.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of fantastical plants" class="wp-image-478030" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-111.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-111-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-111-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-111-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-111-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-111-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-157.jpeg" alt="a digital illustration by Taehyoung Maria Jeon of fantastical plants with a caterpillar on the left leaf" class="wp-image-478034" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-157.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-157-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-157-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-157-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-157-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Plant-157-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/taehyoung-maria-jeon-folium-botanical-illustration-book/">Fantastic Plants Spring from Taehyoung Maria Jeon&#8217;s Digital Illustrations</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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		<title>Red Moons and Lightning Illuminate Sarah Lee&#8217;s Uncanny Landscapes</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/sarah-lee-deeper-landscapes-oil-paintings/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate Mothes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:57:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landscapes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[painting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sarah Lee]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=478012</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-7.jpg" alt="Red Moons and Lightning Illuminate Sarah Lee&#8217;s Uncanny Landscapes" />Supple mountains cradled by lakes and forests are tinged with magical realism. </p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/sarah-lee-deeper-landscapes-oil-paintings/">Red Moons and Lightning Illuminate Sarah Lee&#8217;s Uncanny Landscapes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-7.jpg" alt="Red Moons and Lightning Illuminate Sarah Lee&#8217;s Uncanny Landscapes" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Delicate waves, mysterious fissures, and diffused lightning set some of the scenes in <a href="https://www.sulhwalee.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah Lee</a>’s dreamy landscape paintings. Moons with strangely direct beams of light and supple mountains cradled by lakes and forests are tinged with <a href="/tags/magical-realism">magical realism</a>. Most of the works seen here are part of Lee&#8217;s current solo exhibition titled <em>Deeper</em> at <a href="https://www.albertzbenda.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Albertz Benda</a>, in which the artist highlights different ecosystems and the nature of clarity and concealment. She often titles her works in reference to the colors she employs, such as &#8220;Emerald Sky&#8221; and &#8220;Red Meadow in Mist.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">These apparently &#8220;empty&#8221; landscapes nod to the romantic Western tradition of seascapes and broad, open expanses that pandered to a problematic colonialist mindset, such as that of <a href="https://www.history.com/articles/manifest-destiny" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Manifest Destiny</a>. John O&#8217;Sullivan, who coined the term, wrote that Americans possessed the fundamental right to &#8220;to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us&#8230;&#8221;  In Lee&#8217;s oil paintings, a gallery statement says, &#8220;the landscape pushes back.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2145" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-4.jpg" alt="a landscape painting of a glacier with a large crack in it and the northern lights above" class="wp-image-478016" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-4.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-4-640x686.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-4-960x1030.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-4-768x824.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-4-1432x1536.jpg 1432w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-4-1910x2048.jpg 1910w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Emerald Sky&#8221; (2026), oil on canvas, 56 x 52 1/4 inches</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the misty, fuzzy edges of glaciers, glowing skies, and mountain peaks, the artist imbues a nuanced sense of the uncanny. &#8220;There is a distinct feeling that more is hidden in the scene than what meets the eye: in the recesses of the water, underneath the ice, obscured by an outcropping of coral,&#8221; the gallery says. The light perhaps shines a little too brightly or a gap opens up ominously in a field of ice. &#8220;Before Dark&#8221; draws our attention to the serene surface of a lake, and what we can see is beautiful, yet one wonders if we&#8217;re witnessing the calm before the storm.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Lee harnesses the power of the unknown, examining the way nature both nourishes us and is the ultimate authority. Humans need clean water, food, and fresh air, and we rely on these things even as our collective actions cause the environment harm along with, paradoxically, ourselves. The artist’s paintings provide a kind of filter through which to see this contradiction, as the land and water are elements we fundamentally rely on but cannot control.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Deeper </em>continues through October 10 in New York. See more on the artist&#8217;s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarahsrlee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1750" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-1.jpg" alt="a landscape painting of mountains rising above a forest, illuminated by a red sun or moon seen over a glacial lake" class="wp-image-478013" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-1.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-1-640x560.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-1-960x840.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-1-768x672.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-1-1536x1344.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Before Dark&#8221; (2026), oil on canvas, 70 x 80 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2002" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-6.jpg" alt="a diffused painting of lightning striking a landscape" class="wp-image-478018" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-6.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-6-640x641.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-6-960x961.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-6-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-6-768x769.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-6-1534x1536.jpg 1534w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Red Meadow in Mist&#8221; (2026), oil on canvas, 13 x 13 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2343" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-2.jpg" alt="a seascape painting with clouds in the distance and a glowing moon reflecting on the water and seemingly shooting sparkles" class="wp-image-478014" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-2.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-2-640x750.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-2-960x1125.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-2-768x900.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-2-1311x1536.jpg 1311w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-2-1748x2048.jpg 1748w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;The Umber Sea&#8221; (2026), oil on canvas, 70 x 60 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1873" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-3.jpg" alt="a landscape painting of a sea with rocks and glowing clouds at sunrise" class="wp-image-478015" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-3.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-3-640x599.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-3-960x899.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-3-768x719.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-3-1536x1438.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Golden Hour&#8221; (2026), oil on canvas, 14 x 15 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1863" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-8.jpg" alt="a landscape painting of icebergs in a dark sea beneath a moon" class="wp-image-478019" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-8.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-8-640x596.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-8-960x894.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-8-768x715.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-8-1536x1431.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Glacier&#8221; (2024), oil on linen, 52 x 56 inches</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1883" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-5.jpg" alt="a landscape painting of a glacier with a large crack in it, a forest in the background, and the northern lights above" class="wp-image-478017" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-5.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-5-640x603.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-5-960x904.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-5-768x723.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lee-5-1536x1446.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Path to the Forest&#8221; (2026), oil on canvas, 34 x 36 inches</figcaption></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/sarah-lee-deeper-landscapes-oil-paintings/">Red Moons and Lightning Illuminate Sarah Lee&#8217;s Uncanny Landscapes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Woodland Creatures Inhabit an Imaginary World in Kanako Abe&#8217;s Intricate Paper Cuts</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/kanako-abe-paper-cuts-reliefs-collages/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate Mothes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Craft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children's book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[collage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[folklore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kanako Abe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[narrative]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paper]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=477988</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-10.jpg" alt="Woodland Creatures Inhabit an Imaginary World in Kanako Abe&#8217;s Intricate Paper Cuts" />Abe imagines dreamlike scenes reminiscent of childhood narratives and folk tales. </p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/kanako-abe-paper-cuts-reliefs-collages/">Woodland Creatures Inhabit an Imaginary World in Kanako Abe&#8217;s Intricate Paper Cuts</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-10.jpg" alt="Woodland Creatures Inhabit an Imaginary World in Kanako Abe&#8217;s Intricate Paper Cuts" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In tender <a href="/tags/kanako-abe">paper collages</a> featuring woodland creatures in relief, <a href="https://www.kanakoabe.art/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kanako Abe</a> imagines dreamlike scenes reminiscent of childhood narratives and folk tales. Giant wolves, diminutive bunnies, and curious deer wander through a Narnia-like realm that we glimpse through foliage-filled portals. In her practice, &#8220;the paper becomes a canvas for stories untold, where every cut is a deliberate step into a world where imagination and reality intertwine,&#8221; a statement says.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Paper-cutting has long been a central tenet of Abe&#8217;s practice, which she recently applied to an ambitious forthcoming book project in collaboration with young adult novelist Caryl Lewis. <em>The Paper Girl, </em>published by Frances Lincoln Ltd., follows the adventures of a young protagonist who folds herself into different forms in response to others&#8217; comments and directives only to learn how to stand up for herself by summoning the power of &#8220;no.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2636" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-1.jpeg" alt="a paper collage of a wolf amid a forest inside the silhouette of a person in profile" class="wp-image-477989" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-1.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-1-640x844.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-1-960x1265.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-1-768x1012.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-1-1165x1536.jpeg 1165w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-1-1554x2048.jpeg 1554w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>The Paper Girl </em>is slated for release on October 6. Pre-order your copy on <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/96/9781805701835" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bookshop</a>, and if you provide proof of purchase via <a href="https://www.quarto.com/campaign/papergirlsignedbookplate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a form on Quarto</a>, you&#8217;ll receive a signed bookplate by Abe. The artist is currently working toward a curatorial endeavor at <a href="https://www.giantrobot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Giant Robot Gallery</a> scheduled to open in January, which will also include her work. And next April, she&#8217;ll participate in a group exhibition at <a href="https://childhoods-end-gallery.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Childhood&#8217;s End Gallery</a> in Olympia, Washington. Keep an eye on updates on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/abemanatee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1913" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-9.jpg" alt="a paper collage on a round surface featuring a wreath-like arrangement of foliage around a large sleeping wolf" class="wp-image-477997" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-9.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-9-640x612.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-9-960x918.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-9-768x735.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-9-1536x1469.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="2000" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-7.jpeg" alt="a hand holds a small paper collage in a wooden frame of a squirrel peeking out from behind a surround of foliage" class="wp-image-477995" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-7.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-7-640x640.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-7-960x960.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-7-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-7-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-7-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1854" height="2496" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-3.jpeg" alt="a small paper collage in a wooden frame of a deer with small glowing stars peeking out from behind a surround of foliage" class="wp-image-477991" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-3.jpeg 1854w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-3-640x862.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-3-960x1292.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-3-768x1034.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-3-1141x1536.jpeg 1141w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-3-1521x2048.jpeg 1521w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1854px) 100vw, 1854px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1906" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-8.jpg" alt="a paper collage on a round surface featuring a wreath-like arrangement of foliage around the skeleton of a bird" class="wp-image-477996" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-8.jpg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-8-640x610.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-8-960x915.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-8-768x732.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-8-1536x1464.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="3490" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-4.jpeg" alt="a series of four framed paper collages of animals and foliage" class="wp-image-477992" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-4.jpeg 2560w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-4-640x873.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-4-960x1309.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-4-768x1047.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-4-1127x1536.jpeg 1127w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-4-1502x2048.jpeg 1502w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1775" height="1765" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-6.jpeg" alt="a small paper collage in a wooden frame of a bunny peeking out from behind a surround of foliage" class="wp-image-477994" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-6.jpeg 1775w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-6-640x636.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-6-960x955.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-6-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-6-768x764.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-6-1536x1527.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1775px) 100vw, 1775px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1860" height="2523" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-2.jpeg" alt="a small paper collage in a wooden frame of a squirrel with a glowing star peeking out from behind a surround of foliage" class="wp-image-477990" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-2.jpeg 1860w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-2-640x868.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-2-960x1302.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-2-768x1042.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-2-1132x1536.jpeg 1132w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/abe-2-1510x2048.jpeg 1510w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1860px) 100vw, 1860px" /></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/kanako-abe-paper-cuts-reliefs-collages/">Woodland Creatures Inhabit an Imaginary World in Kanako Abe&#8217;s Intricate Paper Cuts</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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		<title>John Wilson&#8217;s &#8216;The History of Concrete&#8217; Is Anything But Mundane</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/john-wilson-the-history-of-concrete-movie/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate Mothes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:19:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Film]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[concrete]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[documentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Wilson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=477977</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-2.jpeg" alt="John Wilson&#8217;s &#8216;The History of Concrete&#8217; Is Anything But Mundane" />Wilson's movie debut is primed for absurdity, delving into something that's immanently mundane yet fundamental to the way we live.</p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/john-wilson-the-history-of-concrete-movie/">John Wilson&#8217;s &#8216;The History of Concrete&#8217; Is Anything But Mundane</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-2.jpeg" alt="John Wilson&#8217;s &#8216;The History of Concrete&#8217; Is Anything But Mundane" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;Do you ever think about concrete?&#8221; opens the trailer for <em><a href="https://www.magpictures.com/thehistoryofconcrete/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The History of Concrete</a></em>, a documentary released in select theaters in the U.S. last Friday. If your answer is no, the quirky new feature by filmmaker <a href="https://www.johnsmovies.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Wilson</a> may mean you can&#8217;t get it out of your head.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Wilson is known for the cult-favorite, comedic HBO docuseries <em>How To with John Wilson</em>, which he described as being &#8220;kind of like that show <em>Planet Earth</em>, except if it was only in New York and David Attenborough was forced to film everything himself.&#8221; His movie debut is primed for absurdity, delving into something that&#8217;s immanently mundane yet fundamental to the way we live.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The History of Concrete - Official Trailer | Directed by John Wilson | In Theaters September 18" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O05arcJjOd0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The film captures concrete&#8217;s ubiquity in urban sidewalks, buildings, and homes, not to mention the eccentric ways it appears on the streets and in the industries that have grown up around it. To most of us, it&#8217;s a kind of infrastructural building block, but through Wilson&#8217;s lens, it&#8217;s an unlikely medium through which to understand New York and its denizens.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">See more on the movie&#8217;s <a href="https://www.magpictures.com/thehistoryofconcrete/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1111" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-1.jpeg" alt="a still from the movie 'The History of Concrete' featuring a man who runs a company called Gum Busters" class="wp-image-477978" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-1.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-1-640x356.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-1-960x533.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-1-768x427.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-1-1536x853.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1105" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-3.jpeg" alt="a still from the movie 'The History of Concrete' featuring two men jackhammering a concrete slab" class="wp-image-477980" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-3.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-3-640x354.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-3-960x530.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-3-768x424.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-3-1536x849.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2000" height="1101" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-4.jpeg" alt="a still from the movie 'The History of Concrete' featuring a self-portrait of filmmaker John Wilson taking a selfie in a mirror" class="wp-image-477981" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-4.jpeg 2000w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-4-640x352.jpeg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-4-960x528.jpeg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-4-768x423.jpeg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/concrete-4-1536x846.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/john-wilson-the-history-of-concrete-movie/">John Wilson&#8217;s &#8216;The History of Concrete&#8217; Is Anything But Mundane</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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		<title>Microscopic Universes Come Alive in Nikon&#8217;s Small World in Motion Contest</title>
		<link>https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/2026-nikon-small-world-in-motion-video-competition/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jackie Andres]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 19:53:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[germs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[micro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nikon's Small World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=477959</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-1.gif" alt="Microscopic Universes Come Alive in Nikon&#8217;s Small World in Motion Contest" />This year's cycle received more than 340 video entries from 40 different countries.</p>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/2026-nikon-small-world-in-motion-video-competition/">Microscopic Universes Come Alive in Nikon&#8217;s Small World in Motion Contest</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-1.gif" alt="Microscopic Universes Come Alive in Nikon&#8217;s Small World in Motion Contest" />


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the winning video of <a href="https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nikon&#8217;s Small World in Motion</a> competition, Dr. Ning Xu captures the abnormal beating of airway cilia from a child with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD)—a genetic disorder affecting respiratory function. “When people watch cilia beating, they immediately understand that something beautiful and important is happening inside us,” says the Beijing-based researcher. “I think this competition turns microscopy into a shared language.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The marvelous sight is just one of the notable videos from the annual competition, which just celebrated its 16th cycle. This year&#8217;s panel welcomed esteemed scientists, researchers, and science communicators who evaluated more than 340 video entries from 40 different countries. Watch more winning videos on the contest&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2026-small-world-in-motion-competition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a> and stay posted for winners of the Nikon Small World photo competition, which will be announced on October 21.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Abnormal beating of airway cilia from a child with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aJSotKghcZ8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">1st place: Dr. Ning Xu (China). Abnormal beating of airway cilia from a child with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), a genetic disorder affecting respiratory function</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="831" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-4-960x831.jpg" alt="MSG salt crystals forming in drops of solution" class="wp-image-477963" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-4-960x831.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-4-640x554.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-4-768x665.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-4-1536x1329.jpg 1536w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-4.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Honorable mention: Cora A. Harris (U.S.). MSG salt crystals forming in drops of solution</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="A tiny roundworm and a single-celled Dileptus explore their microscopic world" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y5lL-WpJ4b0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">2nd place: Nguyen Nam Nhat (Vietnam). A tiny roundworm and a single-celled Dileptus explore their microscopic world</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="540" src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-3-960x540.jpg" alt="Alga (Volvox aureus) colonies in motion" class="wp-image-477962" srcset="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-3-960x540.jpg 960w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-3-640x360.jpg 640w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-3-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nikon-swim-2026-3.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Honorable mention: Gerd Günther (Germany). Alga (Volvox aureus) colonies in motion</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jellyfish larvae suspended in water droplets" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gKsB_MtTOpU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">3rd place: Benedikt Pleyer (Germany). Jellyfish larvae suspended in water droplets</figcaption></figure>
<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/members">Colossal Member</a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/09/2026-nikon-small-world-in-motion-video-competition/">Microscopic Universes Come Alive in Nikon&#8217;s Small World in Motion Contest</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com">Colossal</a>.</p>
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