Inventions of the Ancient Aztecs – Creativity in Engineering

The Aztecs were tremendously creative. When they drained the marshy land of Lake Texcoco, they expanded the land available by creating artificial islands on the water; these were used for…

Master Copies

You may have heard of master copies: copies of famous art pieces that students try to replicate. What are they, and what benefit does it have to us as artists?…

Studio Ghibli

Legendary films have been produced from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, the retired director of Studio Ghibli. These films have inspired countless people across the world, spawning fanart, subcultures, and…

Girl With a Pearl Earring

This famed piece of art has passed through many names and hands and was even stolen during the Nazi regime. What makes it so appealing and beautiful to the beholders?…

Junji Ito and the Art of Horror

Junji Itō. You may have seen or read his work before; it is instantly recognizable in its black-and-white glory, unsettling in an unusual way.  Itō grew up with two older…

Records, CDs, Cassettes: Relics in Our Modern Age

Imagine this: You’re feeling suffocated by the silence of quarantine. You’ve been sitting in a silent Zoom breakout room for what seems like an eternity. So, you open your favorite…

The History of Blown Glass

Glass is an alluring medium: it is translucent, glittering, delicate, and seemingly weightless. Humans started using glass a long time ago, in the form of obsidian. This is not the…

Scent

In art, few people talked about the sense of smell. It’s usually visual art and writing, auditory music, and in rare instances, art pieces that can be interacted with by…

Digital vs. Traditional

Many people are drifting towards digital art rather than traditional due to the advancements in technology.  Visual art is an ever-shifting medium for expression; new techniques, materials, and ideas come…

Cuckoo Clocks

Cuckoo clocks were first invented in Bavaria, where the famed Neuschwanstein Castle is located. Mechanical clocks were invented in the 13th century, but it was only until the 14th century…