The Life of Ultra Violet

Revisiting the studio of the esteemed, eccentric and truly inspirational artist and muse

Earlier this year we had the opportunity to enter the world of artist Ultra Violet, born Isabelle Collin Dufresne. The French-born, NYC-based iconoclast passed away this weekend after an illustrious career that involved inspiring cultural and artistic movements as well as contributing to them. Dufresne met Salvador Dalí in 1954 and, while beginning as his student, quickly became his muse. Dalí introduced her to Andy …

Xue Geng’s Stop-Motion Film “Mr. Sea”

The Beijing artist's porcelain characters come to life in an interpretation of a classic Qing Dynasty supernatural tale

From the masters of Jingdezhen to contemporary artists, porcelain is intrinsic to China’s history. It can be the sublime expression of beauty that gets condensed in a daily life object, but it can also tell a whole story: strength, toughness, purity and resonance are all features of the material which can serve as elements of a symbolic language. It’s for these reasons that Xue Geng, …

Photographer Arvida Byström on Selfies and Gender Identity

The 22-year-old's pink and glitter images are more subversive than they seem

Two years ago, Swedish artist Arvida Byström grew tired of the lack of jobs and places to live in her native Stockholm and left for London. Since then, she’s put on shows at her own gallery Gal in Limehouse, East London, and worked on a number of magazine and art projects. Recently, Byström’s art was featured in Petra Collins’ “Pussy Pat” show in New York, …