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art inspiration life Photography Tuscany

Day 4~ September 4th~ Tuscany

Even soda has style in Tuscany

It takes Italians to make sure their soda can has style! Fashion and good taste most definitely flourish in Italy where somehow mixing art into daily life is second nature to the Italians. It makes me wonder what it is that makes the Italians how they are, while in neighboring countries like France, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia, people could not be more different. Even when you go into small villages in Europe, each can have its own nature, its own dialect and its own radiation. This is the case in so many countries in the ‘old’ world, and it never ceases to puzzle me because I feel that it goes beyond the apparent differences in heritage or genetics or what we can physically see with our own eyes and it calls me to search and research.

Categories
architecture Egypt history Photography

Day 28~ March 28th~ Egypt

the temple of Hatshepsut

The impressive mortuary temple built for Queen Hatshepsut, the 18th dynasty female Pharaoh stands as the evidence of Egypt’s influence on today’s classical architecture styles. This pharaoh was known for her great power and dominion over both upper and lower Egypt and was said to reign for over 22 years.

The original name of the mortuary temple is Djeser-Djeseru (holy of holies) and it is entirely dedicated to the birth and life of the queen to whom it was dedicated.

Legends of Queen Hatshepsut’s great ambition as a ruler and the later destruction and desecration of her statues leave much to ponder about her  intentions as a ruler of Egypt. The sense I got standing at the temple near Deir el Bahari is that of cloudy oppression.

 

Categories
Photography

Day Seventy One, April 3, 2011

 

xintiandi's new poster boy

The new look of Xintiandi~Shanghai

One of the first lifestyle centers of China, 新天地 Xintiandi, is a pedestrian area that showcases the shikumen (stone faced houses) architecture of Shanghai. Xintiandi means literally “new heaven on earth” and is and has been a very lively place night and day, always reinventing itself with new styles to match the speed of city growth. It is zigzagged with narrow alleys, restaurants, bookstores, shops, bars and beautiful cobble stone floors in its alleys. It most certainly has style and is a must see in Shanghai.

 

I know this project is about one photo a day, but I am sneaking in a few shots where I feel needed. Happy weekend!

'Shanghai Tang' in Xintiandi