Category Archives: Soulful Expressions

“Vanished House” by Hu Quanchun

A haunting, ivy-clad sculpture in a Chinese cemetery evokes the nature of loss

Chinese designer Hu Quanchun has found a unique way to depict the loss of family, home, and place in his sculpture, “Vanished House.” The sculpture is a memorial installation, set in a cemetery in Wuhan, China. It consists of permeable, … Continue reading

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“Girl With Death Mask” by Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo laces her eerie painting with symbolic signs of hope

As we approach Halloween and All Souls Day, it’s a fitting time to discuss one of Frida Kahlo’s more eerie paintings. One of the 20th-century’s most iconic artists, Kahlo was not shy about expressing grief and death on her canvases.

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“An Archaeology of Silence” by Kehinde Wiley

A new exhibit looks at the death of Black men and women

Classic art is no stranger to depicting death. Scenes of a martyred Jesus and other saints dominated art for centuries, interspersed with a fascination with painting other tableaus of death and violence such as Socrates ingesting poison, Greek heroes felled … Continue reading

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“Maman”: An Artist’s Ode to Her Mother

Louise Bourgeois' towering sculpture of a spider speaks to the complexities of a mother's role

The French artist Louise Bourgeois lost her mother when she was just 21. It was a complicated yet familiar situation: the two historically had a complex and at times even tumultuous relationship. But at the same time, Bourgeois felt she … Continue reading

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A Unique Stool Designed for Hospice Comfort

Inspired by the death of his mother, Ian Adler designed a functional stool for use at the bedside of the dying

Ian Adler hopes that his Yip Stool will eventually serve a simple, yet profound purpose. While visitors gather around the bedside of an ailing loved one, Ian wants to offer them some comfort — quite literally. Instead of standing, mulling, … Continue reading

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“Death Is Not the End” Looks at Death Through the Lens of Christian & Buddhist Art

The exhibit “Death is Not the End” is on display in New York through January 14, 2024

Rubin Museum curator Elena Pakhoutova has assembled an array of artwork to explore the concept of death in Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity. “Death is Not the End,” a cross-cultural exhibit, includes prints, oil paintings, bone ornaments, thangka paintings, sculptures, illuminated … Continue reading

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